To beat the rap

To beat the rap
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 the rap — {v. phr.} To escape the legal penalty one ought to receive. * /In spite of the strong evidence against him, the prisoner beat the rap and went free./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beat the rap — {v. phr.} To escape the legal penalty one ought to receive. * /In spite of the strong evidence against him, the prisoner beat the rap and went free./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beat the rap — If you beat the rap, you escape conviction and punishment for a crime or something you have done wrong …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • beat the rap N. Amer. — beat the rap N. Amer. informal escape punishment for or be acquitted of a crime. → rap …   English new terms dictionary

  • beat the rap — ► beat the rap N. Amer. informal escape punishment for or be acquitted of a crime. Main Entry: ↑rap …   English terms dictionary

  • beat the rap — phrasal : to escape or evade the penalties connected with an accusation or charge he was charged with arson but he beat the rap * * * beat the rap (N Am sl) 1. To be acquitted of a crime 2. To avoid punishment • • • Main Entry: ↑rap * * * beat… …   Useful english dictionary

  • beat\ the\ rap — v. phr. To escape the legal penalty one ought to receive. In spite of the strong evidence against him, the prisoner beat the rap and went free …   Словарь американских идиом

  • beat the rap — have the charges removed or dropped, get off    Every time the burglar was caught he was able to beat the rap …   English idioms

  • beat the rap — American, informal to escape being punished. There s no way he can beat the rap now. No lawyer can save him …   New idioms dictionary

  • beat the rap — mainly American informal to escape being punished for a crime you have been accused of So far all the main suspects have beaten the rap …   English dictionary

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