[beat] vb beat ; beat.en or beat ; beat.ing [ME beten, fr. OE beatan; akin to OHG bozan to beat] vt (bef. 12c) 1: to strike repeatedly: a: to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain--often used with up b: to walk on: tread c: to strike directly against forcefully and repeatedly: dash against d: to flap or thrash at vigorously e: to strike at in order to rouse game; also: to range over in or as if in quest of game f: to mix by stirring: whip--often used with up g: to strike repeatedly in order to produce music or a signal "~ a drum"
2. a: to drive or force by blows b: to pound into a powder, paste, or pulp c: to make by repeated treading or driving over d (1): to dislodge by repeated hitting (2): to lodge securely by repeated striking e: to shape by beating "~ swords into plowshares"; esp: to flatten thin by blows f: to sound or express esp. by drumbeat
3: to cause to strike or flap repeatedly
4. a: overcome, defeat; also: surpass--often used with out b: to prevail despite "~ the odds" c: bewilder, baffle d (1): fatigue, exhaust (2): to leave dispirited, irresolute, or hopeless e: cheat, swindle
5. a (1): to act ahead of usu. so as to forestall (2): to report a news item in advance of b: to come or arrive before c: circumvent "~ the system" d: to outmaneuver (a defender) and get free e: to score against (a goalkeeper)
6: to indicate by beating "~ the tempo" ~ vi 1 a: to become forcefully impelled: dash b: to glare or strike with oppressive intensity c: to sustain distracting activity d: to beat a drum
2. a (1): pulsate, throb (2): tick b: to sound upon being struck 3 a: to strike repeated blows b: to strike the air: flap c: to strike cover in order to rouse game; also: to range or scour for or as if for game
4: to progress with much difficulty
5: to sail to windward by a series of tacks -- beat.a.ble adj -- beat about the bush or beat around the bush : to fail or refuse to come to the point in discourse -- beat a retreat : to leave in haste -- beat it 1: to hurry away: scram
2: hurry, rush -- beat one's brains out : to try intently to resolve something difficult by thinking -- beat the bushes : to search thoroughly through all possible areas -- beat the drum : to proclaim as meritorious or significant: publicize vigorously -- beat the rap : to escape or evade the penalties connected with an accusation or charge -- beat up on : to attack physically or verbally
[2]beat n (1615) 1 a: a single stroke or blow esp. 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 ~" 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 jazz or rock music; also:
[2]rock 2
5. a: one that excels "I've never seen the ~ 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 -- beat.less adj [3]beat adj [ME beten, bete, fr. pp. of beten] (1832) 1 a: being in a state of exhaustion: exhausted b: sapped of resolution or morale
2. often cap: of, relating to, or being beatniks "~ poets" [4]beat n, often cap (1957): beatnik