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# beam

«beam» in Mova's school dictionary: **a long, strong piece of wood or metal that holds up a…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (beam, beams); verb (beam, beams, beamed, beaming)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A beam is a long, strong piece of wood or metal that holds up a roof or floor in a building. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#m1)

2) A beam is also a line of light, like a beam from a torch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#m2)

3) To beam is to smile very widely and happily. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#m3)

4) A balance beam is a narrow bar that gymnasts walk and jump on. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#m4)

5) To beam something is to send it, like a signal or a picture. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

a length that is cut or a thing counted in a building; in science: a beam of light travels in a straight line, mirrors bounce beams; in sport: gymnasts on the balance beam; in stories: a lighthouse beam, someone beaming with joy; phrases: «a beam of light», «beam with pride», «on the beam»

### examples

- The beam is 6 metres long. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x1)
- They cut the beam into 3 equal parts. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x2)
- The roof needs 12 beams. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x3)
- Each beam weighs 40 kg. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x4)
- A beam of light came from the lighthouse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x5)
- Light beams travel in straight lines. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x6)
- She beamed when she got her prize. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x7)
- The gymnast did a cartwheel on the beam. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x8)
- Old houses have wooden beams on the ceiling. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x9)
- Her face beamed when she exclaimed this. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/#x10)

### note

A length to be cut: 3 parts need 2 cuts. Lengths of parts add to the whole beam. In science, a beam shows light goes in straight lines. «Beaming» (smiling) is about feelings, not numbers.

### In the corpora

- [The Badger beams — that's exactly what he thinks!](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/39-willows-ch4-part3-the-otter-and-underground-homes/9/)
- [Reflective material sends a car's headlight beam back towards the driver.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/43-buses-trains-and-being-seen/16/)
- [A beam bridge is a plank resting on supports.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/technology/30-bridges-and-skyscrapers/2/)
- [A beam bridge is a flat deck resting on supports.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/86-building-strong-things/8/)
- [When a plank or beam bends under a load, its top is squashed and its bottom is stretched.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/86-building-strong-things/18/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «beam» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/beam/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.