strike (a person or an animal) repeatedly and violently so as to hurt or injure them, typically with an implement such as a club or whip

if we were caught we were beaten

the victims were beaten to death with baseball bats

they beat me with a stick and punched me

defeat (someone) in a game or other competitive situation

she beat him easily at chess

Juventus were beaten 2–1

succeed in getting somewhere ahead of (someone)

the defender beat him to the ball

(of the heart) pulsate

her heart beat faster with panic

(of a bird) move (the wings) up and down

doves wheel around the rooftops, beating their wings

stir (cooking ingredients) vigorously to make a smooth or frothy mixture

beat the butter until light and fluffy

beat the cream into the mixture

sail into the wind, following a zigzag course with repeated tacking

we beat southwards all that first day

a main accent or rhythmic unit in music or poetry

the glissando begins on the second beat

the movement of a bird's wings

the beat of the swallow's wings as they dive after midges

an area allocated to a police officer and patrolled on foot

his beat was in North London

it's important to have cops on the beat

a brief pause or moment of hesitation

she waited for a beat of three seconds

completely exhausted

I'm beat—I need an hour or so to rest

I feel beat and out of ideas

relating to the beat generation or its philosophy

beat poet Allen Ginsberg