Meaning

• Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.

• One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones.

• The maximum width of a vessel (note that a vessel with a beam of 15 foot can also be said to be 15 foot abeam)

  "This ship has more beam than that one."

• The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.

• The principal stem of the antler of a deer.

• The pole of a carriage or chariot.

• A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving and the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven.

• The straight part or shank of an anchor.

• The central bar 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.

• In steam engines, 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.

• A ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body.

  "a beam of energy"

• A ray; a gleam.

  "a beam of hope, or of comfort"

• One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk.

• A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value.

• An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway.

Meaning

• To emit beams of light; shine; radiate.

  "to beam forth light"

• To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.

• To furnish or supply with beams

• To give the appearance of beams to.

• To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism.

  "Beam me up, Scotty; there's no intelligent life down here."

• (currying) To stretch something (for example an animal hide) on a beam.

• To put (something) on a beam

• To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation.