Beam vs. Ray — What's the Difference?

A long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal used to support the roof or floor of a building

A narrow stream of radiant energy, especially visible light, traveling in a straight or nearly straight line.

A ray or shaft of light

A narrow stream of particles such as protons traveling in a straight or nearly straight line.

A radiant or good-natured look or smile

A rapidly moving particle traveling in a straight or nearly straight line.

Transmit (a radio signal or broadcast) in a specified direction

Rays Sunshine

(of a light or light source) shine brightly

A small amount; a trace

Smile radiantly

(Mathematics) A straight line extending from a point. Also called half-line.

A squared-off log or a large, oblong piece of timber, metal, or stone used especially as a horizontal support in construction.

Any of the bright streaks that are seen radiating from some craters on the moon.

A transverse structural member of a ship's frame, used to support a deck and to brace the sides against stress.

A ray flower or the strap-shaped portion of the corolla of a ray flower.

The breadth of a ship at the widest point.

A branch of an umbel.

The side of a ship

One of the bony spines supporting the membrane of a fish's fin.

(Informal) The widest part of a person's hips

One of the arms of a starfish or other radiate animal.

A steel tube or wooden roller on which the warp is wound in a loom.

Any of various cartilaginous fishes of the superorder Batoidea, having ventral gill slits, enlarged pelvic fins that are fused to the sides of the head, and a flattened body, and including the stingrays, skates, and guitarfishes.

An oscillating lever connected to an engine piston rod and used to transmit power to the crankshaft.

Any of various members of this superorder having a whiplike tail usually with a stinging spine, such as a stingray, considered in contrast to a guitarfish, sawfish, or skate.

The bar of a balance from which weighing pans are suspended.

To send out as rays; emit.

(Sports) A balance beam.

To supply with rays or radiating lines.

The main horizontal bar on a plow to which the share, coulter, and handles are attached.

To cast rays on; irradiate.

One of the main stems of a deer's antlers.

A beam of light or radiation.

A ray or shaft of light.

(zoology) A rib-like reinforcement of bone or cartilage in a fish's fin.

A concentrated stream of particles or a similar propagation of waves

(zoology) One of the spheromeres of a radiate, especially one of the arms of a starfish or an ophiuran.

A radio beam.

(botany) A radiating part of a flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, such as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius.

To radiate light; shine.

(obsolete) Sight; perception; vision; from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen.

To smile expansively.

(mathematics) A line extending indefinitely in one direction from a point.

To emit or transmit

(colloquial) A tiny amount.

To express by means of a radiant smile

A marine fish with a flat body, large wing-like fins, and a whip-like tail.

Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.

(obsolete) Array; order; arrangement; dress.

One of the principal horizontal structural members, usually of steel, timber, or concrete, of a building; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones.

The letter ⟨/⟩, one of two which represent the r sound in Pitman shorthand.

(nautical) The maximum width of a vessel (note that a vessel with a beam of 15 foot can also be said to be 15 foot abeam).

(music) re

(nautical) The direction across a vessel, perpendicular to fore-and-aft.

(transitive) To emit something as if in rays.

The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.

(intransitive) To radiate as if in rays.

The principal stem of the antler of a deer.

(transitive) To expose to radiation.

(literary) The pole of a carriage or chariot.

(obsolete) To arrange.

(textiles) A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving and the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven.

To dress, array (someone).

The straight part or shank of an anchor.

(obsolete) To stain or soil; to defile.

The central bar of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it.

To array.

In steam engines, a heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft.

To mark, stain, or soil; to streak; to defile.

A ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body.

To mark with long lines; to streak.

(figuratively) A ray; a gleam.

To send forth or shoot out; to cause to shine out; as, to ray smiles.

One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk.

To shine, as with rays.

(music) A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value.

Array; order; arrangement; dress.

(railway) An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway.

One of a number of lines or parts diverging from a common point or center, like the radii of a circle; as, a star of six rays.

(gymnastics) balance beam

A radiating part of a flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius. See Radius.

(ambitransitive) To emit beams of light; to shine; to radiate.

One of the radiating spines, or cartilages, supporting the fins of fishes.

To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.

A line of light or heat proceeding from a radiant or reflecting point; a single element of light or heat propagated continuously; as, a solar ray; a polarized ray.

(transitive) To furnish or supply with beams.

Sight; perception; vision; - from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen.

(transitive) To give the appearance of beams to.

One of a system of diverging lines passing through a point, and regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions. See Half-ray.

To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism.

Any one of numerous elasmobranch fishes of the order Raiæ, including the skates, torpedoes, sawfishes, etc.

To transmit, especially by direct wireless means such as infrared.

A column of light (as from a beacon)

To stretch something (for example, an animal hide) on a beam.

A branch of an umbel or an umbelliform inflorescence

To put (something) on a beam.

(mathematics) a straight line extending from a point

To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation.

A group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation

Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.

The syllable naming the second (supertonic) note of any major scale in solmization

One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship.

Any of the stiff bony rods in the fin of a fish

The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another.

Cartilaginous fishes having horizontally flattened bodies and enlarged winglike pectoral fins with gills on the underside; most swim by moving the pectoral fins

The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.

Emit as rays;

The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.

Extend or spread outward from a center or focus or inward towards a center;

The pole of a carriage.

Expose to radiation;

A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; also, the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven; one being called the fore beam, the other the back beam.

The straight part or shank of an anchor.

The main part of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it.

A heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft; - called also working beam or walking beam.

A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat.

A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort.

One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; - called also beam feather.

To send forth; to emit; - followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light.

To emit beams of light.

A signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides pilots in darkness or bad weather

Long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction

A column of light (as from a beacon)

A group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation

(nautical) breadth amidships

A gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts

Smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

Emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light;

Express with a beaming face or smile;

Broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television;

Especially of the complexion: show a strong bright color, such as red or pink;

Experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion;