beam

noun

1. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
2. One of the principal horizontal structural members, usually of steel, timber, or concrete, of a building.
3. One of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid, and acting as part of the support for keeping the sides of the vessel in shape — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones; cf. abeam, beam-ends.
4. 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).
5. The direction across a vessel, perpendicular to fore-and-aft.
6. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
7. The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. A ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body.
11. The principal stem of the antler of a deer, which branches grow out from.
12. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk.
13. The pole of a carriage or chariot.
14. 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.
15. A ray; a gleam.
16. A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value.
17. An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway.
18. A balance beam.
19. A gymnastic activity or event using a balance beam.
20. A broad smile.