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Boom vs Beam - What's the difference?

boom | beam |

In transitive terms the difference between boom and beam

is that boom is to make something boom while beam is to furnish or supply with beams; give the appearance of beams to.

In nautical terms the difference between boom and beam

is that boom is a spar extending the foot of a sail; a spar rigged outboard from a ship's side to which boats are secured in harbour while beam is the maximum width of a vessel.

As verbs the difference between boom and beam

is that boom is to make a loud, resonant sound while beam is to emit beams of light; shine; radiate.

As nouns the difference between boom and beam

is that boom is a low-pitched, resonant sound, such as of an explosion while beam is any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.

As an interjection boom

is used to suggest the sound of an explosion.

boom

English

(wikipedia boom)

Etymology 1

Onomatopoetic, perhaps borrowed; compare German (m), Dutch (m).

Verb

(en verb)
  • To make a loud, resonant sound.
    • Thunder boomed in the distance and lightning flashes lit up the horizon.
    The cannon boomed , recoiled, and spewed a heavy smoke cloud.
    Beneath the cliff, the sea was booming on the rocks.
    I can hear the organ slowly booming from the chapel.
  • (transitive, figuratively, of speech) To exclaim with force, to shout, to thunder.
  • *
  • To make something boom.
    • Men in grey robes slowly booming the drums of death.
  • (slang, US, obsolete) To publicly praise.
  • * (rfdate), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Problem of Thor Bridge
    • If you pull this off every paper in England and America will be booming you.
  • To rush with violence and noise, as a ship under a press of sail, before a free wind.
  • * Totten
    • She comes booming down before it.
    Derived terms
    * boom box * sonic boom

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A low-pitched, resonant sound, such as of an explosion.
    • ''The boom of the surf.
  • One of the calls of certain monkeys or birds.
  • * 1990 , Mark A. Berkley, William C. Stebbins, Comparative Perception
    • Interestingly, the blue monkey's boom and pyow calls are both long-distance signals (Brown, 1989), yet the two calls differ in respect to their susceptibility to habitat-induced degradation.

    Interjection

    (en interjection)

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) . Compare English (m).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) A spar extending the foot of a sail; a spar rigged outboard from a ship's side to which boats are secured in harbour.
  • A movable pole used to support a microphone or camera.
  • A horizontal member of a crane or derrick, used for lifting.
  • (electronics) The longest element of a Yagi antenna, on which the other, smaller ones, are transversally mounted.
  • A floating barrier used to obstruct navigation, for military or other purposes; or used for the containment of an oil spill.
  • A wishbone shaped piece of windsurfing equipment.
  • The arm of a crane (mechanical lifting machine).
  • The section of the arm on a backhoe closest to the tractor.
    • Related terms
    * (nautical) buoy, cathead * crane

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To extend, or push, with a boom or pole.
    • to boom''' out a sail; to '''boom off a boat

    Etymology 3

    Or uncertain origin; perhaps a development of Etymology 1, above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (economics, business) A period of prosperity or high market activity.
    • Antonyms
    * (period of prosperity) recession

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be prosperous.
    • ''Business was booming .
  • (dated) To cause to advance rapidly in price.
    • to boom railroad or mining shares
    Synonyms
    * (to be prosperous) flourish, prosper
    Derived terms
    * sis boom bah * boom town/boomtown

    Anagrams

    * ----

    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

    * ----