Collins English-English Dictionary

beat [biːt]

1. 1. vb [when intr, often foll by against, on, etc] to strike with or as if with a series of violent blows; dash or pound repeatedly (against)

2. 2. vt. [tr] to punish by striking; flog

3. 3. vt. to move or cause to move up and down; flap

   the bird beat its wings heavily

4. 4. vi. [intr] to throb rhythmically; pulsate

   her heart beat fast

5. 5. vt. [tr] to make (one's way) by or as if by blows

   she beat her way out of the crowd

6. 6. vt. [tr; sometimes foll by up] [cookery] to stir or whisk (an ingredient or mixture) vigorously

7. 7. vt. [tr; sometimes foll by out] to shape, make thin, or flatten (a piece of metal) by repeated blows

8. 8. vt. [tr] [music] to indicate (time) by the motion of one's hand, baton, etc, or by the action of a metronome

9. 9. vt. [when tr, sometimes foll by out] to produce (a sound or signal) by or as if by striking a drum

10. 10. vt. to sound or cause to sound, by or as if by beating

    beat the drums!

11. 11. vt. to overcome (an opponent) in a contest, battle, etc

12. 12. vt. [tr; often foll by back, down, off etc] to drive, push, or thrust

13. 13. vt. [tr] to arrive or finish before (someone or something);anticipate or forestall

    they set off early to beat the rush hour

14. 14. vt. [tr] to form (a path or track) by repeatedly walking or riding over it

15. 15. vt. to scour (woodlands, coverts, or undergrowth) so as to rouse game for shooting

16. 16. vt. [tr] [slang] to puzzle or baffle

    it beats me how he can do that

17. 17. vi. [intr] [physics] (of sounds or electrical signals) to combine and produce a pulsating sound or signal

18. 18. vi. [intr] [nautical] to steer a sailing vessel as close as possible to the direction from which the wind is blowing

19. 19. vt. [tr] [slang] [chiefly US] to cheat or defraud

    he beat his brother out of the inheritance

20. 20. vt. See breast

21. 21. n a stroke or blow

22. 22. n the sound made by a stroke or blow

23. 23. n a regular sound or stroke; throb

24. 24. n an assigned or habitual round or route, as of a policeman or sentry

25. 25. n (as modifier)

    beat police officers

26. 26. n the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music, usually grouped in twos, threes, or fours

27. 27. n pop or rock music characterized by a heavy rhythmic beat

28. 28. n (as modifier)

    a beat group

29. 29. n [physics] the low regular frequency produced by combining two sounds or electrical signals that have similar frequencies

30. 30. n [horology] the impulse given to the balance wheel by the action of the escapement

31. 31. n [prosody] the accent, stress, or ictus in a metrical foot

32. 32. n [nautical] a course that steers a sailing vessel as close as possible to the direction from which the wind is blowing

33. 33. n the act of scouring for game by beating

34. 34. n the organized scouring of a particular woodland so as to rouse the game in it

35. 35. n the woodland where game is so roused

36. 36. n short for beatnik

37. 37. n [fencing] a sharp tap with one's blade on an opponent's blade to deflect it

38. 38. n [modifier, often capital] of, characterized by, or relating to the Beat Generation

    a beat poet

    beat philosophy

39. 39. adj [postpositive] [slang] totally exhausted

40. 40. adj See also beat down beat up

41. 41. adj [Etymology] Old English beatan; related to Old Norse bauta, Old High German bozan