beaming

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
beam/biːm/

▶noun

• 1 a long sturdy piece of squared timber or metal used horizontally in building to support a load above.

  ■ a narrow horizontal length of squared timber used for balancing exercises in gymnastics.

• 2 a horizontal beam supporting the deck and joining the sides of a ship.

  ■ the direction of an object visible from the side of a ship when it is perpendicular to the centre line of the vessel: there was land in sight on the port beam.

  ■ a ship's breadth at its widest point.

• 3 a ray or shaft of light.

  ■ a directional flow of particles or radiation.

  ■ a series of radio or radar signals emitted as a navigational guide.

• 4 a radiant smile.

• 5 the crossbar of a balance.

• 6 an oscillating shaft in a beam engine.

• 7 the shank of an anchor.

▶verb

• 1 transmit (a radio signal or broadcast) in a specified direction.

• 2 shine brightly.

• 3 smile radiantly.

– phrases
a beam in one's eye a fault that is greater in oneself than in the person one is finding fault with. [with biblical allusion to Matt. 7:3.]
off beam informal on the wrong track.
on her (or its) beam ends (of a ship) heeled over on its side.

– origin OE bēam ‘tree, beam’, of W. Gmc origin.