157
beat
your breast to show that you feel sorry about sth that
you have done, especially in public and in an exaggerated way
) beat the 'dock to finish a task, race,
etc. before a particular time Jiff ( $L\) 'beat it
[slang) (usually used in
orders ii A) to go away
immediately '^JF; A PA JF: This is private land, so
beat it! A±Jfe, beat a path to sb’s
'door if a lot of people beat a path to sb’s
door, they are all interested in sth that person has to sell, or can do or tell
them
Top theatrical agents are beating a path to the teenager’s door.
beat the 'rap (NAmE, slang) to escape
without being punished M M ^ beat a (hasty) re'treat to go away or back quickly,
especially to avoid sth unpleasant ( A-flE ) (
1^‘ft ) Mil beat 'time
(to sth) to mark or follow the rhythm of music, by
waving a stick, tapping your foot, etc. (.fitiH=f'fk ) fX X07: She beat time with her fingers. MA
AiatTftlAo beat sb to the 'punch (informaf) to get or do sth before sb else can jfrA BUffi can you beat that/it!
(informal) used to express surprise or anger $1 ;
if you can’t beat them, join them [saying) if you cannot defeat sb or be as
successful as they are, then it is more sensible to join them in what they are
doing and perhaps get some advantage for yourself by doing so XT 7 Hi,
iSI ,off the ,beaten 'track far away from other people,
houses, etc. |'$] rff; IJwjzg: They live miles off the
beaten track. {Ml ft ft fi ies life #?
<> a
rod/stick to beat sb with a fact, an argument, etc. that is used in order to
blame or punish sb \>\ jSiS-iS ) take some 'beating to be difficult to beat $£ \ZX
H ffi: That score is going to take some beating. & — jftXIiA,, 0 For
sheer
luxury, this hotel takes some beating. # M. (ft M. St, — more at black adj.,
daylights, drum n., hell I3!I;VJ| ,beat sth—down to hit a door, etc. many
times until it breaks open $f JF, 5I®£ ( .)
.beat
'down (on sb/sth) if the sun beats
down it shines with great heat ( ft! A ) B§Bj5
.beat sb/sth 'down (to sth) to persuade sb to reduce the price at
which they are selling sth AI^Hft;
He wanted $8 000 for the car but I beat him down to $6 000. 8 000 A, im&m 7 6 000
ju0 Ol beat down the price to $6 000. fB I1J T
6 000 jCo
.beat
'off [NAmE,
taboo, slang) to masturbate AS .beat sb/sth—'off to force sb/sth back or
away by fighting Ail; The attacker was beaten off. j®
# A il 7 <> 0 She
beat off a challenge to her leadership. .beat sth-'out
1 to
produce a rhythm by hitting sth many times M. XT AA# 2 to put a
fire out by beating XhtTA ( A ) : We beat the
flames out. ftcfilfBAthtTATo 3 to remove sth by
hitting it with a hammer, etc.
^XX5; HA: They can beat out the dent in the car’s wing, #,f j
XGH 7 ft
'beat sb out of sth [NAmE, informal) to cheat sb by taking
sth from them ( XA ^ A ) is #7 , Sit#: Her brother beat her out of $200. A 7itk
200 ft o beat sb to sth/ ... | beat sb ‘to it to get somewhere or do sth
before sb else XfrXfc; StA5fci£: She beat me to the top of the hill, itfe Af'Jii A Mo o
I was about to take the last cake, but he beat me to it.
,beatsb-up
to hit or kick sb hard, many times If
XT: He was
badly beaten up by a gang of thugs, fife ft—?$l|ftXTX#i^ .beat 'up on sb [NAmE) to hit sb hard, especially
sb who is young or weak XSXT, jgf# ( A# ) : I’ve heard people say he
used to beat up on his wife. f£n/r ijfcfife ft
ml # XTH7o .beat yourself 'up (about/over sth) [NAmE, informal) to blame yourself too
much for sth ( ) MA" g M:
Look, there’s no need to beat yourself up over this, off g
■
noun
►
OF DRUMS/HEART/WINGS fft; A\W: ®§1 [C] a single blow to sth, such as a drum, or a
movement of sth, such as your heart; the sound that this makes ( ft (tfj )
—A; (aW)-H; ( AftA; US