n.
Function: noun
Date: 1615
1 a : a single stroke or blow especially in a series also : PULSATION , TICK b : a sound produced by or as if by beating c : a driving impact or force
2 : one swing of the pendulum or balance of a timepiece
3 a : a regularly traversed round <the cop on the beat > b : a group of news sources that a reporter covers regularly
4 a : a metrical or rhythmic stress in poetry or music or the rhythmic effect of these stresses b : the tempo indicated (as by a conductor) to a musical performer c : the pronounced rhythm that is the characteristic driving force in some types of music (as jazz or rock) also : 2 ROCK 2
5 a : one that excels <I've never seen the beat of it> b : the reporting of a news story ahead of competitors
6 : DEADBEAT
7 a : an act of beating to windward b : one of the reaches so traversed : TACK
8 : each of the pulsations of amplitude produced by the union of sound or radio waves or electric currents having different frequencies
9 : an accented stroke (as of one leg or foot against the other) in dancing
10 : MOMENT <waited a beat before responding>
– beat · less \ -l ə s \ adjective