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beat

beat

9 9.6
A writer or artist from the Beat Generation of the 1950s
  • noun
  • /biːt/
  • Literature
: beatnik
  • Another great program was the Books with Beat program during Teen Read Week.

And it has a very like beat poet vibe to it, right.

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Examples

  • The most coveted beat in this country.

  • I wondered what the Beats were looking for in those dreadful streets.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • In California, the beat has changed, but the message is the same.

  • A beat cop of history.

  • They're all the beat generation and there are lots of other stories in Morocco apart from that, but everyone likes the beats.

  • Over those years, Pacifica Radio brought the Beat poets to the public airwaves.

    Blog text (22)
  • But there are other possibilities for those courageous enough to listen and walk to the beat of a different drummer.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Jack considered himself a proud beat, always advocating for change and creativity in his writing.

  • The beats of the 1950s introduced a new form of expression that challenged societal norms.

  • Many artists identify with the beat movement for its emphasis on individuality and artistic freedom.

Synonyms

beatnik
vsbeat
  • Archaic
14 9.0

A young person in the 1950s who lived a free, artistic life and wore unusual clothes

is any member regardless of age or bohemian lifestyle

Idioms

To succeed despite great difficulty or low chances

Search carefully in many places to find someone or something

to beat to a pulp
  • Offensive
17 7.6

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt or win against them very clearly

To do something before someone else to get an advantage

on the beat
  • Literature
15 5.5

Working in one area, usually as a police officer or reporter

to skip a beat
  • Informal
11 6.1

To feel your heart stop for a moment because you are suddenly excited or scared

To speak or act strongly to support a cause

To defeat someone by using their own methods

To finish something before the time runs out

4 5.5

To act immediately and confidently without pausing

To work very hard or to threaten to hit someone

To move or act together at the same time in the same way

to beat the band
  • Informal
3 8.9

To do something with great energy and excitement

3 7.7

Win easily by a lot against another person or team

To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble

2 7.5

Always alert and ready to react to news and events

to beat feet
  • Slang
2 9.0

To leave quickly to escape or avoid something

1 9.0

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt

to beat my brain
  • Informal
1 8.2

To think very hard to remember something or to solve a problem

1 8.8

Push away a lot of people or fans as a joke about being too popular

1 9.9

A person or thing that looks very ugly, said as a joke

to beat the bishop
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To touch your own private parts to make yourself sexually excited

To change weapons into tools for peaceful work like farming

To do much better than people expected

9.1

Show deep regret by hitting your chest and crying

to beat one's meat
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch his own penis to feel sexual pleasure

9.9

Get up very early before sunrise

Compounds

2 8.0

A group of American writers and artists from the 1950s who reject social rules and choose free creative lives

beat music
  • Archaic
1 4.0

A style of pop rock from 1960s Britain with strong rhythms and simple melodies

staccato beat
  • Specialized
1 6.1

Short, sharp musical sounds that have clear gaps between notes

beat combo
  • Archaic
1 6.5

A small band that plays rhythm music for dancing

type beat
  • Jargon
7.7

A music track made in the style of a popular artist

Surface Forms

beat singular
beats plural

Etymology

A beat (member of the Beat Generation) takes its name from the slang beat meaning 'worn out' or 'down', used by writers to show a feeling of being outside mainstream life. So a Beat was someone who felt 'beaten' by society and chose a different way of living.