noun Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
noun One of the principal horizontal structural members, usually of steel, timber, or concrete, of a building.
noun One of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid, and acting as part of the support for keeping the sides of the vessel in shape — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones; cf. abeam, beam-ends.
noun The maximum width of a vessel (note that a vessel with a beam of 15 foot can also be said to be 15 foot abeam).
This ship has more beam than that one.
noun The direction across a vessel, perpendicular to fore-and-aft.
As the vessel passes a landmark, the landmark is said to be abeam. Once the vessel has passed the landmark, it falls abaft the beam, then it gradually falls astern.
noun The straight part or shank of an anchor.
noun The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
noun 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.