Verb

To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.

Right so came out an adder of a little heathbush, and it stung a knight in the foot.

Still, it stung when a slightly older acquaintance asked me why I couldn't do any better.

(of an insect) To bite.

(sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain.

My hand stings after knocking on the door so long.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=January 11 , author=Jonathan Stevenson , title=West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=But Birmingham were clearly stung by some harsh words from manager Alex McLeish at the break and within 15 minutes of the restart the game had an entirely different complexion.}}

(figurative) To cause harm or pain to.

I thought I could park in front of the hotel, but they stung me for five pounds!

Verb

To hit; to knock; to pound; to strike.

As soon as she heard that Wiktionary was shutting down, she went into a rage and beat the wall with her fists until her knuckles bled.

* {{quote-news, date = 21 August 2012

, first = Ed , last = Pilkington , title = Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die? , newspaper = The Guardian , url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/21/death-penalty-trial-reggie-clemons?newsfeed=true , page = , passage = In this account of events, the cards were stacked against Clemons from the beginning. His appeal lawyers have argued that he was physically beaten into making a confession, the jury was wrongfully selected and misdirected, and his conviction largely achieved on individual testimony with no supporting forensic evidence presented.}}

To strike or pound repeatedly, usually in some sort of rhythm.

He danced hypnotically while she beat the atabaque.

To strike repeatedly; to inflict repeated blows; to knock vigorously or loudly.

* Bible, Judges xix. 22

The men of the city beat at the door.

* Dryden

Rolling tempests vainly beat below.

* Longfellow

They [winds] beat at the crazy casement.

* Bible, Jonath iv. 8

The sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die.

* Francis Bacon

Public envy seemeth to beat chiefly upon ministers.

To move with pulsation or throbbing.

* Byron

A thousand hearts beat happily.

To win against; to defeat or overcome; to do better than, outdo, or excel (someone) in a particular, competitive event.

Jan had little trouble beating John in tennis. He lost five games in a row.

No matter how quickly Joe finished his test, Roger always beat him.

I just can't seem to beat the last level of this video game.

(nautical) To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

To strike (water, foliage etc.) in order to drive out game; to travel through (a forest etc.) for hunting.

* 1955 , (Robin Jenkins), The Cone-Gatherers , Canongate 2012, p. 81:

The part of the wood to be beaten for deer sloped all the way from the roadside to the loch.

To mix food in a rapid fashion. Compare whip.

Beat the eggs and whip the cream.

(transitive, UK, In haggling for a price) of a buyer, to persuade the seller to reduce a price

He wanted $50 for it, but I managed to beat him down to $35.

(nonstandard)

* 1825? , "Hannah Limbrick, Executed for Murder", in The Newgate Calendar: comprising interesting memoirs of the most notorious characters , page 231:

Thomas Limbrick, who was only nine years of age, said he lived with his mother when Deborah was beat : that his mother throwed her down all along with her hands; and then against a wall

To indicate by beating or drumming.

to beat''' a retreat''; ''to '''beat to quarters

To tread, as a path.

* Blackmore

pass awful gulfs, and beat my painful way

To exercise severely; to perplex; to trouble.

* John Locke

Why should any one beat his head about the Latin grammar who does not intend to be a critic?

To be in agitation or doubt.

* Shakespeare

to still my beating mind

To make a sound when struck.

The drums beat .

(military) To make a succession of strokes on a drum.

The drummers beat to call soldiers to their quarters.

To sound with more or less rapid alternations of greater and less intensity, so as to produce a pulsating effect; said of instruments, tones, or vibrations, not perfectly in unison.