transcription, транскрипция: [ bi:t ]
( beats, beating, beaten)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: The form 'beat' is used in the present tense and is the past tense.
1.
If you beat someone or something, you hit them very hard.
My wife tried to stop them and they beat her...
They were beaten to death with baseball bats.
VERB : V n , V n to n
2.
To beat on , at , or against something means to hit it hard, usually several times or continuously for a period of time.
There was dead silence but for a fly beating against the glass...
Nina managed to free herself and began beating at the flames with a pillow...
The rain was beating on the windowpanes.
= pound
VERB : V against n , V at n , V on n , also V n
•
Beat is also a noun.
...the rhythmic beat of the surf.
N-SING : usu the N of n
• beat‧ing
...the silence broken only by the beating of the rain.
N-SING : usu the N of n
3.
When your heart or pulse beats , it continually makes regular rhythmic movements.
I felt my heart beating faster.
VERB : V
•
Beat is also a noun.
He could hear the beat of his heart...
Most people’s pulse rate is more than 70 beats per minute.
N-COUNT : usu with supp
• beat‧ing
I could hear the beating of my heart.
N-SING : usu the N of n
4.
If you beat a drum or similar instrument, you hit it in order to make a sound. You can also say that a drum beats .
When you beat the drum, you feel good.
...drums beating and pipes playing.
VERB : V n , V
•
Beat is also a noun.
...the rhythmical beat of the drum.
N-SING : usu the N of n
5.
The beat of a piece of music is the main rhythm that it has.
...the thumping beat of rock music.
N-COUNT : usu sing , the N
6.
In music, a beat is a unit of measurement. The number of beats in a bar of a piece of music is indicated by two numbers at the beginning of the piece.
It’s got four beats to a bar.
N-COUNT : usu pl
see also upbeat , downbeat
7.
If you beat eggs, cream, or butter, you mix them thoroughly using a fork or beater.
Beat the eggs and sugar until they start to thicken.
VERB : V n
8.
When a bird or insect beats its wings or when its wings beat , its wings move up and down.
Beating their wings they flew off...
Its wings beat slowly.
VERB : V n , V
9.
If you beat someone in a competition or election, you defeat them.
In yesterday’s games, Switzerland beat the United States two-one...
She was easily beaten into third place.
VERB : V n , V n into n
10.
If someone beats a record or achievement, they do better than it.
He was as eager as his Captain to beat the record.
VERB : V n
11.
If you beat something that you are fighting against, for example an organization, a problem, or a disease, you defeat it.
It became clear that the Union was not going to beat the government...
= conquer
VERB : V n
12.
If an attack or an attempt is beaten off or is beaten back , it is stopped, often temporarily.
The rescuers were beaten back by strong winds and currents...
South Africa’s ruling National Party has beaten off a right-wing challenge.
VERB : usu passive , be V-ed adv , V adv n
13.
If you say that one thing beats another, you mean that it is better than it. ( INFORMAL )
Being boss of a software firm beats selling insurance...
VERB : no cont , V n
14.
If you say you can’t beat a particular thing you mean that it is the best thing of its kind.
You can’t beat soap and water for cleansing.
VERB : no cont , V n
15.
To beat a time limit or an event means to achieve something before that time or event.
They were trying to beat the midnight deadline...
VERB : V n
16.
A police officer’s or journalist’s beat is the area for which he or she is responsible.
N-COUNT
17.
You use beat in expressions such as ‘It beats me’ or ‘What beats me is’ to indicate that you cannot understand or explain something. ( INFORMAL, SPOKEN )
‘What am I doing wrong, anyway?’—‘Beats me, Lewis.’...
VERB : V n
18.
see also beaten , beaten-up , beating , beat-up
19.
If you intend to do something but someone beats you to it , they do it before you do.
Don’t be too long about it or you’ll find someone has beaten you to it.
PHRASE : V inflects
20.
A police officer on the beat is on duty, walking around the area for which he or she is responsible.
The officer on the beat picks up information; hears cries for help; makes people feel safe.
PHRASE : usu n PHR , v-link PHR
21.
If you beat time to a piece of music, you move your hand or foot up and down in time with the music. A conductor beats time to show the choir or orchestra how fast they should sing or play the music.
He beats time with hands and feet.
= keep time
PHRASE : V inflects
22.
to beat someone black and blue: see black
to beat about the bush: see bush
to beat or knock the living daylights out of someone : see daylights
to beat the drum for someone or something : see drum
to beat someone at their own game: see game
to beat a retreat: see retreat
to beat the shit out of someone : see shit
to kick the shit out of someone : see shit
to knock the shit out of someone : see shit