Beakiron to Bearberry
Beakiron
(Beak"i*ron) n. [From Bickern.] A bickern; a bench anvil with a long beak, adapted to reach
the interior surfaces of sheet metal ware; the horn of an anvil.
Beal
(Beal) n. [See Boil a tumor.] (Med.) A small inflammatory tumor; a pustule. [Prov. Eng.]
Beal
(Beal), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bealed ; p. pr & vb. n. Bealing.] To gather matter; to swell and
come to a head, as a pimple. [Prov. Eng.]
Be-all
(Be"-all`) n. The whole; all that is to be. [Poetic] Shak.
Beam
(Beam) n. [AS. beám beam, post, tree, ray of light; akin to OFries. bam tree, OS. bom, D. boom,
OHG. boum, poum, G. baum, Icel. baðmr, Goth. bagms and Gr. fy^ma a growth, fy^nai to become,
to be. Cf. L. radius staff, rod, spoke of a wheel, beam or ray, and G. strahl arrow, spoke of a wheel,
ray or beam, flash of lightning. &radic97. See Be; cf. Boom a spar.]
1. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
2. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship.
The beams of a vessel are strong pieces of timber stretching across from side to side to support the
decks.
Totten.
3. The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another.
4. The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
The doubtful beam long nods from side to side.
Pope.
5. The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
6. The pole of a carriage. [Poetic] Dryden.
7. 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.
8. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
9. 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.
10. (Steam Engine) 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.
11. A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light,
or of heat.
How far that little candle throws his beams!
Shak.
12. Fig.: A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort.
Mercy with her genial beam.
Keble.
13. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; — called also beam feather.
