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Beam vs Reel - What's the difference?

beam | reel |

As nouns the difference between beam and reel

is that beam is any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use while reel is a lively dance of the Highlanders of Scotland; also, the music to the dance; -- often called Scotch reel.

As verbs the difference between beam and reel

is that beam is to emit beams of light; shine; radiate while reel is to wind on a reel.

beam

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • 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.
  • (nautical) The maximum width of a vessel
  • This ship has more beam than that one.
  • The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
  • *(rfdate) (Alexander Pope)
  • The doubtful beam long nods from side to side.
  • The principal stem of the antler of a deer.
  • (literary) The pole of a carriage.(rfc-sense)
  • *
  • (textiles) 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 approximatelyly parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body
  • a beam of light
    a beam of energy
  • * (rfdate) Shakespeare
  • How far that little candle throws his beams !
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
  • , date=September 22 , author=Nick Collins , title=Speed of light 'broken' by scientists , work=Daily Telegraph citation , page= , passage=A total of 15,000 beams of neutrinos were fired over a period of 3 years from CERN towards Gran Sassoin Italy, 730km (500 miles) away, where they were picked up by giant detectors. }}
  • (figuratively) A ray; a gleam
  • a beam of hope, or of comfort
  • * (rfdate) Keble
  • Mercy with her genial beam .
  • One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk.
  • (music) 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.
  • Synonyms

    * (nautical) breadth * (heavy iron lever) working beam, walking beam * (sense, hawk's feather) beam feather * see also

    Hyponyms

    * (textiles) fore beam, back beam

    Derived terms

    (Derived terms) * abeam * balance beam * beam reach * beam splitter * beam-ends * beamer * beamish * beamline * beamy * bond beam * crossbeam * moonbeam * sunbeam * broad across the beam * broad in the beam * chemical beam epitaxy * high-beam * laser beam * molecular beam epitaxy * particle beam * tractor beam

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (ambitransitive) To emit beams of light; shine; radiate.
  • to beam forth light
  • (figuratively) To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.
  • To furnish or supply with beams; give the appearance of beams to.
  • (science fiction) 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 on a beam, as a hide.
  • (weaving) To put on a beam, as a chain or web.
  • (music) To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation.
  • Anagrams

    * ----

    reel

    English

    (wikipedia reel)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A lively dance of the Highlanders of Scotland; also, the music to the dance; -- often called Scotch reel.
  • A frame with radial arms, or a kind of spool, turning on an axis, on which yarn, threads, lines, or the like, are wound
  • a log reel , used by seamen
    an angler's reel
    a garden reel
  • A machine on which yarn is wound and measured into lays and hanks, -- for cotton or linen it is fifty-four inches in circuit; for worsted, thirty inches.
  • (McElrath)
  • A device consisting of radial arms with horizontal stats, connected with a harvesting machine, for holding the stalks of grain in position to be cut by the knives.
  • A short compilation of sample film work used as a demonstrative resume in the entertainment industry.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To wind on a reel.
  • To spin or revolve repeatedly.
  • To unwind, to bring or acquire something by spinning or winding something else.
  • He reeled off some tape from the roll and sealed the package.
  • To walk shakily or unsteadily; to stagger; move as if drunk or not in control of oneself.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
  • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=30 citation , passage=It was by his order the shattered leading company flung itself into the houses when the Sin Verguenza were met by an enfilading volley as they reeled into the calle.}}
  • * Bible, Psalms cvii. 27
  • They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • He, with heavy fumes oppressed, / Reeled from the palace, and retired to rest.
  • * Macaulay
  • the wagons reeling under the yellow sheaves
  • (reel back) To back off or step away unsteadily and quickly.
  • He reeled back from the punch.
  • To make or cause to reel.
  • To have a whirling sensation; to be giddy.
  • * Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • In these lengthened vigils his brain often reeled .
  • To be in shock.
  • * 2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, "[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/nyregion/new-jersey-continues-to-cope-with-hurricane-sandy.html?hp]," New York Times (retrieved 31 October 2012):
  • New Jersey was reeling on Wednesday from the impact of Hurricane Sandy, which has caused catastrophic flooding here in Hoboken and in other New York City suburbs, destroyed entire neighborhoods across the state and wiped out iconic boardwalks in shore towns that had enchanted generations of vacationgoers.
  • (obsolete) To roll.
  • * Spenser
  • And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reel .

    Quotations

    ; to stagger * 1996 , , Virago Press, paperback edition, page 111 *: Sarah reels a little, nevertheless, under the dog's boisterous greeting.

    Derived terms

    * reel in * reel off

    Anagrams

    * * ----