v.
(past beat; past part. beaten)
- strike (a person or an animal) repeatedly and violently so as to hurt or punish them.
▸strike repeatedly so as to make a noise.
▸flatten or shape (metal) by striking it repeatedly with a hammer.
- defeat in a game or other competitive situation.
▸surpass (a record or score).
▸overcome (a problem).
▸
informal baffle:
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it beats me how you manage it.
- (of the heart) pulsate.
- (of a bird) move (the wings) up and down.
- stir (cooking ingredients) vigorously.
- move across (an area of land) repeatedly striking at the ground cover in order to raise game birds for shooting.
- Sailing sail into the wind, with repeated tacking.
n.
- a main accent or rhythmic unit in music or poetry.
▸a rhythm or rhythmic sound or movement.
▸a pulsation of the heart.
▸a periodic variation of sound or amplitude due to the combination of two sounds or other vibrations with similar but not identical frequencies.
- the movement of a bird's wings.
- an area allocated to a police officer and patrolled on foot.
▸a spell of duty allocated to a police officer.
▸a stretch of water fished by an angler.
- a brief pause or moment of hesitation.
adj.
informal completely exhausted.
Phrase
- beat about the bush
discuss a matter without coming to the point. - beat the bounds
historical mark parish boundaries by walking round them and striking certain points with rods. - beat the clock
perform a task within a fixed time limit. - beat a
(hasty)
retreat
withdraw. - beat time
indicate or follow a musical tempo with a baton or other means. - off the beaten track
in or into an isolated place. - to beat the band
informal, chiefly N. Amer. so as to surpass all competition.
Phrase verbal
Derivative
Etymology
OE bēatan, of Gmc origin.
