Definition of: beat

(bēt) v. beat, beat·en (Colloq. beat), beat·ing v.t.
1. To strike repeatedly; pound.
2. To punish by repeated blows; thrash; whip.
3. To dash or strike against, as wind or waves.
4. To make, as one's way, by repeated blows: to beat a path to the door.
5. To forge or shape by or as by hammering.
6. To make flat by tramping or treading, as a path.
7. To subdue or defeat; master.
8. To flap; flutter, as wings.
9.. Music To mark or measure with or as with a baton: to beat time.
10. To hunt over; search: to beat the countryside.
11. To sound (a signal) as on a drum.
12. To stir; turn (ingredients) over and over so as to make lighter or frothier.
13 Colloq. To baffle; perplex: It beats me.
14. Slang To defraud; swindle.
—v.i.
15. To strike repeated blows.
16. To strike or smite as with blows: The sound beats on our ears.
17. To throb; pulsate.
18. To give forth sound, as when tapped or struck.
19. To sound a signal, as on a drum.
20. Physics To alternate in intensity so as to pulsate.
21. To be adaptable to beating: The yolk beats well.
22. To hunt through underbrush, etc., as for game.
23. To win a victory or contest.
24. Naut. To work against contrary winds or currents by tacking.
—to beat about To search by one means and then another.
—to beat about the bush To approach a subject in a round-about way.
—to beat a retreat To give a signal for retreat, as by beat of drums; hence, to turn back; flee.
—to beat down To force or persuade (a seller) to accept a lower price.
—to beat it Slang To depart hastily.
—to beat the air To make futile exertions.
—to beat up Colloq. To thrash thoroughly.
—noun
1. A stroke or blow, especially one producing sound or serving as a signal.
2. A pulsation or throb, as of the pulse.
3. Physics a A regularly recurring pulsation or throb heard when two tones not quite in unison are sounded together: caused by the interference of sound waves. b A similar property belonging to light waves and other waves.
4. Naut. A tack.
5. Music a The unit of measure for indicating rhythm. b The gesture or symbol for this.
6. The stroke or tick of a watch or clock.
7. A round, line, or district regularly traversed, as by a sentry or a policeman.
8. A division of a county.
9. In newspaper slang, a scoop.
10. U.S. Slang A deadbeat (def. 1).
11. Colloq. A member of the Beat Generation.
—adjective
1. U.S. Colloq. Fatigued; worn out.
2. Pertaining to the Beat Generation. [OE bēatan] Synonyms (verb): bastinado, batter, belabor, bruise, castigate, chastise, conquer, cudgel, cuff, defeat, flog, overcome, pommel, pound, scourge, smite, strike, surpass, thrash, vanquish, whip, worst. Strike is the word for a single blow; to beat is to strike repeatedly. Others of the words above describe the manner of beating, as bastinado, to beat on the soles of the feet; belabor, to inflict an exhaustive beating: cudgel, to beat with a stick; thrash (originally identical with "thresh"), to beat with repeated blows, as wheat was beaten out with the old hand flail; to pound is to beat with a heavy, and pommel with a blunt, instrument. To batter and to bruise refer to the results of beating; that is battered which is broken or defaced by repeated blows; that is bruised which has suffered even one severe blow. To beat a combatant is to disable or dishearten him for further fighting. Hence beat becomes the synonym for every word which implies getting the advantage of another. Compare CONQUER, SUBDUE. Antonyms: fail, fall, surrender.