Beam is a versatile English word with multiple meanings:
1. In construction: A long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal used to support the roof or floor of a building.
2. In physics: A ray or shaft of light ("sunbeam") or other radiation.
3. In navigation: The width of a ship at its widest point.
4. In facial expressions: To smile radiantly ("beaming smile").
5. In technology: To transmit (a signal) in a particular direction.
6. In gymnastics: The balance beam apparatus.