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beat; beaten
ˈbē-tᵊn
or beat; beating; beats
1
: to strike repeatedly:
a
: to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain
Inmates were put in solitary for beating other inmates.
—often used with up … brutes who beat up their victims without compunction …—
J. H. Plumb
b
: to walk on : tread
beat the pavement looking for work
c
: to strike directly against forcefully and repeatedly : dash against
waves beating the shore
beat the door with her fists
d
: to flap or thrash at vigorously
a trapped bird beating the air
e
hunting
: to strike at in order to rouse game
beating a hedgerow
also
: to range over in or as if in quest of game
… beat the woods and rouse the bounding prey … —
Matthew Prior
f
: to mix by stirring : whip
beat the eggs
—often used with up
g
: to strike repeatedly in order to produce music or a signal
beat a drum
2
a
: to drive or force by blows
beat back his attackers
b
: to pound into a powder, paste, or pulp
c
: to make by repeated treading or driving over
beat a path through the woods
d(1)
: to dislodge by repeated hitting
beat dust from the carpet
(2)
: to lodge securely by repeated striking
beat a stake into the ground
e
: to shape by beating
beat swords into plowshares
especially
: to flatten thin by blows
f
: to sound or express especially by drumbeat
beating out a rhythm on the conga
3
: to cause to strike or flap repeatedly
a bird beating its wings
4
b
: to prevail despite
beat the odds
5
a(1)
: to act ahead of usually so as to forestall
I was going to make the suggestion, but she beat me to it.
(2)
journalism
: to report a news item in advance of
beat the other networks
b
: to come or arrive before
I beat him to the finish line.
c
: circumvent
beat the system
d
sports
: to outmaneuver (a defender) and get free
The player attempts to beat the defender and score.
e
sports
: to score against (a goalkeeper)
6
: to produce (music or a signal) by striking something repeatedly : to indicate by beating
beat the tempo
1
a
: to become forcefully propelled forward : dash
waves beating against the shore
b
: to glare or strike with oppressive intensity
The sun beat down on us.
c
: to sustain distracting activity
… the turbulence of the Renaissance … beating about his head …—
Douglas Stewart
d
: to strike a drum repeatedly : to beat a drum
The drummers kept beating.
2
3
a
: to strike repeated blows
beating on the door
… their air attack still beating upon us …—
Sir Winston Churchill
b
: to strike the air : flap
The bird's wings beat frantically.
c
hunting
: to strike bushes or other cover in order to rouse game
also
: to range or scour for or as if for game
4
: to progress with much difficulty
5
nautical
: to sail to windward by a series of zigzag movements
beating along the coast
1
b
: a sound produced by or as if by beating (see beat entry 1)
dance to the beat of the drums
listening to the beat of his heart
c
: a driving impact or force
… the full force of the surf beat …—
Joyce Allan
… the fierce beat of the eastern sun.—
T. B. Costain
2
: one swing of the pendulum or balance (see balance entry 1 sense 9) of a timepiece
3
a
: a regularly traversed round (see round entry 3 sense 6a)
a cop patrolling her beat
b
journalism
: a group of news sources that a reporter covers regularly
a reporter on the beat
4
a
: a metrical or rhythmic stress in poetry or music or the rhythmic effect of these stresses
four beats per bar
keeping a steady beat
b
music
: the tempo indicated (as by a conductor) to a musical performer
c
music
: the pronounced rhythm (see rhythm sense 2b) that is the characteristic driving force in some types of music (such as jazz or rock)
music with a Latin beat
also
: rock entry 2 sense 2
5
a
: one that excels
I've never seen the beat of it
b
journalism
: the reporting of a news story ahead of competitors
6
: deadbeat
7
nautical
a
: an act of sailing toward the side or direction from which the wind is blowing by a series of zigzag movements : an act of beating (see beat entry 1 sense intransitive 5) to windward
b
: one of the reaches (see reach entry 2 sense 1) in the zigzag course so traversed : tack
8
physics
: each of the pulsations of amplitude (see amplitude sense 1a) produced by the union of sound or radio waves or electric currents having different frequencies
9
dance
: an accented stroke (as of one leg or foot against the other)
10
: moment
waited a beat before responding
1
a
: being in a state of exhaustion : exhausted
Sometimes I'd be so beat that I'd flop down and go to sleep fully dressed.—
Polly Adler
b
: sapped of resolution or morale
2
often capitalized
[earliest in beat generation; perhaps in part by association with beat entry 2 in sense "pronounced rhythm" or -beat in deadbeat entry 1]
: of, relating to, or being beatniks
beat poets
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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