beam — a ray or shaft of light
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a ray or shaft of light
Pronunciation (IPA): /biːm/
Example Sentences
- The flashlight's beam revealed a hidden treasure chest in the cave.
- My dad was beaming like a lighthouse when I told him I got into university.
- The old house collapsed because the main beam was rotten.
beam
NOUN[/biːm/]
a ray or shaft of light
A beam of light inspired a dream, and the dream made the boy's eyes gleam.
The winner beamed as if a beam of light were shining from his face. (SMILE BEAM → a smile so bright that it shines like a beam of light)
A beam of light inspired a dream, and the dream made the boy's eyes gleam.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old English 'beam' meaning 'tree' or 'piece of wood', ultimately from Proto-Germanic '*baumaz'. The sense shifted from a wooden log to a ray of light because of the visual appearance of light streaming through a window or gap, resembling a wooden beam.
Breakdown
beam (Old English) = single morpheme, no further breakdown. Originally meant 'tree/wood' → evolved to mean 'wooden support beam' → extended to 'ray of light' due to visual similarity
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The flashlight's beam revealed a hidden treasure chest in the cave.”
“My dad was beaming like a lighthouse when I told him I got into university.”
“The old house collapsed because the main beam was rotten.”
“She beamed the presentation directly to everyone's phones.”
“The cat was beaming with satisfaction after knocking over the vase.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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