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1828.mshaffer.com › Word [beam]
BEAM, n. [We see by the Gothic, that the word belongs to Class Bg. It properly signifies the stock or stem of a tree; that is, the fixed, firm part.] 1. The largest, or a principal piece in a building, that lies across the walls, and serves to support the principal rafters.2. Any large piece of timber, long in proportion to its thickness, and squared, or hewed for use.3. The part of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended; sometimes used for the whole apparatus for weighing.4. The part on the head of a stag, which bears the antlers, royals and tops.5. The pole of a carriage, which runs between the horses.6. A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; and this name is given also to the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled,as it is wove.7. The straight part or shank of an anchor.8. In ships, a great main cross timber, which holds the sides of a ship from falling together. The beams support the decks and orlops. The main beam is next the mainmast.9. The main piece of a plow, in which the plow-tails are fixed, and by which it is drawn. 10. Beam compass, an instrument consisting of a square wooden or brass beam, having sliding sockets, that carry steel or pencil points; used for describing large circles, and in large projections for drawing the furniture on wall-dials. On the beam, in navigation, signified any distance from the ship, on a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. Before the beam, is an arch of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or the line of the beam, and that point of the compass which she steers. Beam ends. A vessel is said to be on her beam ends, when she inclines so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position. Beam-feathers, in falconry, the long feathers of a hawk's wing.
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Evolution (or devolution) of this word [beam]
1828 Webster | 1844 Webster | 1913 Webster |
BEAM, n. [We see by the Gothic, that the word belongs to Class Bg. It properly signifies the stock or stem of a tree; that is, the fixed, firm part.] 1. The largest, or a principal piece in a building, that lies across the walls, and serves to support the principal rafters.2. Any large piece of timber, long in proportion to its thickness, and squared, or hewed for use.3. The part of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended; sometimes used for the whole apparatus for weighing.4. The part on the head of a stag, which bears the antlers, royals and tops.5. The pole of a carriage, which runs between the horses.6. A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; and this name is given also to the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled,as it is wove.7. The straight part or shank of an anchor.8. In ships, a great main cross timber, which holds the sides of a ship from falling together. The beams support the decks and orlops. The main beam is next the mainmast.9. The main piece of a plow, in which the plow-tails are fixed, and by which it is drawn. 10. Beam compass, an instrument consisting of a square wooden or brass beam, having sliding sockets, that carry steel or pencil points; used for describing large circles, and in large projections for drawing the furniture on wall-dials. On the beam, in navigation, signified any distance from the ship, on a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. Before the beam, is an arch of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or the line of the beam, and that point of the compass which she steers. Beam ends. A vessel is said to be on her beam ends, when she inclines so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position. Beam-feathers, in falconry, the long feathers of a hawk's wing. | BEAM, n.1 [Goth. bagms, a tree; Sax. beam; G. baum; D. boom, a tree; Dan. bom, a bar or rail; Ir. beim, a beam. We see by the Gothic, that the word belongs to Class Bg. It properly signifies the stock or stem of a tree; that is, the fixed, firm part.]- The largest, or a principal piece in a building, that lies across the walls, and serves to support the principal rafters. – Encyc.
- Any large piece of timber, long in proportion to its thickness, and squared, or hewed for use.
- The part of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended; sometimes used for the whole apparatus for weighing. – Encyc.
- The part on the head of a stag, which bears the antlers, royals and tops.
- The pole of a carriage, which runs between the horses. – Dryden.
- A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; and this name is given also to the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is wove.
- The straight part or shank of an anchor.
- In ships, a great main cross timber, which holds the sides of a ship from falling together. The beams support the decks and orlops. The main beam is next the mainmast. – Mar. Dict.
- The main piece of a plow, in which the plow-tails are fixed, and by which it is drawn.
- Beam compass, an instrument consisting of a square wooden or brass beam, having sliding sockets, that carry steel or pencil points; used for describing large circles, and in large projections for drawing the furniture on wall-dials. – Encyc. Johnson.
On the beam, in navigation, signifies any distance from the ship, on a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. – Mar. Dict.
Before the beam, is an arch of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or the line of the beam, and that point of the compass which she steers. – Mar. Dict.
Beam ends. A vessel is said to be on her beam ends, when she inclines so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position. – Mar. Dict.
Beam-feathers in falconry, the long feathers of a hawk's wing. – Bailey.
BEAM, n.2 [Sax. beam, a ray of the sun; beamian, to shine or send forth beams; Sam. bahmah, splendor; Ir. beim, a stroke, and solbheim, a thunderbolt.]A ray of light, emitted from the sun, or other luminous body. BEAM, v.i.To emit rays of light, or beams; to shine.
He beam'd, the day star of the rising age. – Trumbull. BEAM, v.t.To send forth; to emit. | Beam
- Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness,
and prepared for use.
- To send forth] to emit; -- followed ordinarily by forth; as, to
beam forth light.
- To emit beams of
light.
- One of the principal horizontal timbers of a
building or ship.
- The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to
have more beam than another.
- The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the
scales are suspended.
- The principal stem or horn of a stag or other
deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
- The pole of a carriage.
- A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on
which weavers wind the warp before weaving; also, the cylinder on which the
cloth is rolled, as it is woven; one being called the fore beam, the
other the back beam.
- The straight part or shank of an
anchor.
- The main part of a plow, to which the handles
and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or
horses that draw it.
- A heavy iron lever having
an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with
the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank
of the wheel shaft; -- called also working beam or walking
beam.
- A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted
from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of
heat.
- Fig.: A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of
comfort.
- One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk;
-- called also beam feather.
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1828 Webster | 1844 Webster | 1913 Webster |
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Beam BEAM, noun [We see by the Gothic, that the word belongs to Class Bg. It properly signifies the stock or stem of a tree; that is, the fixed, firm part.] 1. The largest, or a principal piece in a building, that lies across the walls, and serves to support the principal rafters. 2. Any large piece of timber, long in proportion to its thickness, and squared, or hewed for use. 3. The part of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended; sometimes used for the whole apparatus for weighing. 4. The part on the head of a stag, which bears the antlers, royals and tops. 5. The pole of a carriage, which runs between the horses. 6. A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; and this name is given also to the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is wove. 7. The straight part or shank of an anchor. 8. In ships, a great main cross timber, which holds the sides of a ship from falling together. The beams support the decks and orlops. The main beam is next the mainmast. 9. The main piece of a plow, in which the plow-tails are fixed, and by which it is drawn. 10. beam compass, an instrument consisting of a square wooden or brass beam having sliding sockets, that carry steel or pencil points; used for describing large circles, and in large projections for drawing the furniture on wall-dials. On the beam in navigation, signified any distance from the ship, on a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. Before the beam is an arch of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or the line of the beam and that point of the compass which she steers. BEAM ends. A vessel is said to be on her beam ends, when she inclines so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position. BEAM-feathers, in falconry, the long feathers of a hawk's wing.
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Compact Edition |
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* As a note, I have purchased each of these products. In fact, as we have been developing the Project:: 1828 Reprint, I have purchased several of the bulky hard-cover dictionaries. My opinion is that the 2000-page hard-cover edition is the only good viable solution at this time. The compact edition was a bit disappointing and the CD-ROM as well. |
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