Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BEAK, n. [D. bek; W. pig; Ir. peac; Arm. bek; Fr. bec; Sp. pico; It. becco; Dan. pig, pik; Sw. pigg, pik; Sax. piic; Fr. pique; Eng. peak, pike, &c. The sense is, a shoot, or a point, from thrusting; and this word is connected with a numerous family. See Class Bg.]

1. The bill, or nib of a bird, consisting of a horny substance, either straight or curving, and ending in a point.
2. A pointed piece of wood, fortified with brass, resembling a beak, fastened to the end of ancient galleys; intended to pierce the vessels of an enemy. In modern ships, the beak-head is a name given to the forepart of a ship, whose forecastle is square or oblong; a circumstance common to all ships of war, which have two or more tiers of guns. Mar. Dict. Beak or beak-head, that part of a ship, before the forecastle, which is fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee. Encyc.
3. In farriery, a little shoe, at the toe, about an inch long, turned up and fastened in upon the fore part of the hoof. Farrier's Dict.
4. Any thing ending in a point, like a beak. This in America is more generally pronounced peak.

BEAK, v.t.

Among cock-fighters, to take hold with the beak. Ash.

BEAK'ED, a.

Having a beak; ending in a point, like a beak.

BEAK'ER, n. [Ger. becher.]

A cup or glass. Johnson.

BEAK'-I-RON, n.

A bickern; an iron tool, ending in a point, used by blacksmiths. Ash.

BEAL, n. [See Boil. W. bal, a prominence.]

A pimple; a whelk; a small inflammatory tumor; a pustule. Johnson. Ash.

BEAL, v.i.

To gather matter; to swell and come to a head, as a pimple. Johnson. Ash.

BEAM, n.¹ [Goth. bagms, a tree; Sax. beam; G. baum; D. boom, a tree; Dan. bom, a bar or rail; Ir. beim, a beam. We see by the Gothic, that the word belongs to Class Bg. It properly signifies the stock or stem of a tree; that is, the fixed, firm part.]

1. The largest, or a principal piece in a building, that lies across the walls, and serves to support the principal rafters. Encyc.
2. Any large piece of timber, long in proportion to its thickness, and squared, or hewed for use.
3. The part of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended; sometimes used for the whole apparatus for weighing. Encyc.
4. The part on the head of a stag, which bears the antlers, royals and tops.
5. The pole of a carriage, which runs between the horses. Dryden.
6. A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; and this name is given also to the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is wove.
7. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
8. In ships, a great main cross timber, which holds the sides of a ship from falling together. The beams support the decks and orlops. The main beam is next the mainmast. Mar. Dict.
9. The main piece of a plow, in which the plow-tails are fixed, and by which it is drawn.
10. Beam compass, an instrument consisting of a square wooden or brass beam, having sliding sockets, that carry steel or pencil points; used for describing large circles, and in large projections for drawing the furniture on wall-dials. Encyc. Johnson. On the beam, in navigation, signifies any distance from the ship, on a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. Mar. Dict. Before the beam, is an arch of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or the line of the beam, and that point of the compass which she steers. Mar. Dict. Beam ends. A vessel is said to he on her beam ends, when she inclines so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position. Mar. Dict. Beam-feathers in falconry, the long feathers of a hawk's wing. Bailey.

BEAM, n.² [Sax. beam, a ray of the sun; beamian, to shine or send forth beams; Sam. bahmah, splendor; Ir. beim, a stroke, and solbheim, a thunderbolt.]

A ray of light, emitted from the sun, or other luminous body.

BEAM, v.i.

To emit rays of light, or beams; to shine. He beam'd, the day star of the rising age. Trumbull.

BEAM, v.t.

To send forth; to emit.

BEAM'-BIRD, n.

In Yorkshire, England, the pettychaps, a species of Motacilla, called in Dorsetshire, the hay-bird. Encyc. The spotted fly-catcher, a species of Muscicapa. Ed. Encyc.

BEAM'ING, n.

1. Radiation; the emission or darting of ligh in rays.
2. The issuing of intellectual light; dawn; prophetic intimation; first indication. Such were the beamings of an original and gifted mind. T. Dawes.

BEAM'ING, ppr.

Emitting rays of light or beams.

BEAM'LESS, a.

Emitting no rays of light.

BEAM'-TREE, n.

A species of wild service. Johnson. The Cratægus Aria. Cyc.

BEAM'Y, a.

1. Emitting rays of light; radiant; shining.
2. Resembling a beam in size and weight; massy. Dryden.
3. Having horns, or antlers. Dryden.

BEAN, n. [Sax. bean; Dan. bönne; Sw. böna; Gr. πυανον; D. boon; Ger. bohne; Ch. אפון, apun, a vetch. Qu. Arm. favon; Corn. id.; W. faen.]

A name given to several kinds of pulse, or leguminous seeds, and the plants producing them. They belong to several genera, particularly Vicia, Phaseolus, and Dolichos. The varieties most usually cultivated are, the horse bean, the mazagan, the kidney bean, the cranberry bean, the lima bean, the frost bean, &c. The stalk is erect or climbing, and the fruit generally roundish, oval or flat, and of various colors. Malacca Beans. Anacardia, the fruit of a tree growing in Malabar, and other parts of the Indies. This fruit is of a shining black color, of the shape of a heart flattened, about an inch long, terminating at one end in an obtuse point, and at the other, adhering to a wrinkled stalk. It contains within two shells, a kernel of a sweetish taste; and betwixt the shells is lodged a thick acrid juice. Encyc.

BEAN'-CA-PER, n.

A plant, a species of Zygophyllum, a native of warm climates. Encyc.

BEAN'-COD, n.

A small fishing vessel or pilot boat, used in the rivers of Portugal. It is sharp forward, having its stem bent above into a great curve, and plated with iron. Encyc.

BEAN'-FED, a.

Fed with beans. Shak.

BEAN'-FLY, n.

A beautiful fly, of a pale purple color, found on bean flowers, produced from a maggot called mida. Encyc.

BEAN'-GOOSE, n.

A species of Anas; a migratory bird, which arrives in England in autumn, and retires to the north in summer. It is so named, from the likeness of the nail of the bill to a horse-bean. Encyc.

BEAN-TREE-OF-AMERICA, n.

A name given to the Erythrina.

BEAN-TREFOIL, n.

The Cytisus. Fam. of Plants.