To beat about

To beat about
Beat Beat, v. i. 1. To strike repeatedly; to inflict repeated blows; to knock vigorously or loudly. [1913 Webster]

The men of the city . . . beat at the door. --Judges. xix. 22. [1913 Webster]

2. To move with pulsation or throbbing. [1913 Webster]

A thousand hearts beat happily. --Byron. [1913 Webster]

3. To come or act with violence; to dash or fall with force; to strike anything, as rain, wind, and waves do. [1913 Webster]

Sees rolling tempests vainly beat below. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

They [winds] beat at the crazy casement. --Longfellow. [1913 Webster]

The sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die. --Jonah iv. 8. [1913 Webster]

Public envy seemeth to beat chiefly upon ministers. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

4. To be in agitation or doubt. [Poetic] [1913 Webster]

To still my beating mind. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

5. (Naut.) To make progress against the wind, by sailing in a zigzag line or traverse. [1913 Webster]

6. To make a sound when struck; as, the drums beat. [1913 Webster]

7. (Mil.) To make a succession of strokes on a drum; as, the drummers beat to call soldiers to their quarters. [1913 Webster]

8. (Acoustics & Mus.) To sound with more or less rapid alternations of greater and less intensity, so as to produce a pulsating effect; -- said of instruments, tones, or vibrations, not perfectly in unison. [1913 Webster]

{A beating wind} (Naut.), a wind which necessitates tacking in order to make progress.

{To beat about}, to try to find; to search by various means or ways. --Addison.

{To beat about the bush}, to approach a subject circuitously.

{To beat up and down} (Hunting), to run first one way and then another; -- said of a stag.

{To beat up for recruits}, to go diligently about in order to get helpers or participators in an enterprise.

{To beat the rap}, to be acquitted of an accusation; -- especially, by some sly or deceptive means, rather than to be proven innocent. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • beat about the bush — or[beat around the bush] {v. phr.}, {slang} To talk about things without giving a clear answer; avoid the question or the point. * /He would not answer yes or no, but beat about the bush./ * /He beat about the bush for a half hour without coming… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beat about the bush — or[beat around the bush] {v. phr.}, {slang} To talk about things without giving a clear answer; avoid the question or the point. * /He would not answer yes or no, but beat about the bush./ * /He beat about the bush for a half hour without coming… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beat\ about\ the\ bush — • beat about the bush • beat around the bush v. phr. slang To talk about things without giving a clear answer; avoid the question or the point. He would not answer yes or no, but beat about the bush. He beat about the bush for a half hour without …   Словарь американских идиом

  • beat about the bush — beat about/around the bush to avoid talking about a difficult or embarrassing subject because you are worried about upsetting the person you are talking to. Don t beat around the bush. Just tell me where my brother is. (usually negative) There is …   New idioms dictionary

  • beat about the bush — ► beat about the bush discuss a matter without coming to the point. Main Entry: ↑beat …   English terms dictionary

  • beat about the bush — If someone doesn t say clearly what they mean and try to make it hard to understand, they are beating about (around) the bush …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • beat about the bush — phrasal also beat around the bush : to fail or refuse to come to the point in discourse * * * beat about the bush see under ↑bush1 • • • Main Entry: ↑beat beat about the bush To prevaricate, avoid coming to the point • • • …   Useful english dictionary

  • Beat about the Bush — Infobox Album | Name = Beat about the Bush Type = Album Artist = Show of Hands Released = 1994 Recorded = January 1994 at Wytherston Studios, West Dorset Genre = Folk Length = 55:20 Label = TWAH! records Twah105 (1994) Hands on Music HMCD08… …   Wikipedia

  • beat about — Synonyms and related words: about ship, agonize over, angle for, ask for, back and fill, be at sea, be hard put, be uncertain, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about for, box off, break, bring about, bring round, cant, cant… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • To beat about the bush — Beat Beat, v. i. 1. To strike repeatedly; to inflict repeated blows; to knock vigorously or loudly. [1913 Webster] The men of the city . . . beat at the door. Judges. xix. 22. [1913 Webster] 2. To move with pulsation or throbbing. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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