beam vs strut

beam

verb
  • To stretch something (for example, an animal hide) on a beam. 

  • To put (something) on a beam. 

  • To smile broadly or especially cheerfully. 

  • To emit beams of light; to shine; to radiate. 

  • To furnish or supply with beams. 

  • To give the appearance of beams to. 

  • To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism. 

  • To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation. 

  • To transmit, especially by direct wireless means such as infrared. 

noun
  • One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk. 

  • A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value. 

  • The maximum width of a vessel (note that a vessel with a beam of 15 foot can also be said to be 15 foot abeam). 

  • One of the principal horizontal structural members, usually of steel, timber, or concrete, of a building; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones. 

  • The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended. 

  • The direction across a vessel, perpendicular to fore-and-aft. 

  • Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use. 

  • The pole of a carriage or chariot. 

  • A ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body. 

  • In steam engines, a heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft. 

  • A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving and the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven. 

  • The principal stem of the antler of a deer. 

  • The straight part or shank of an anchor. 

  • A ray; a gleam. 

  • An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway. 

  • The central bar of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it. 

strut

verb
  • To brace or support (something) by a strut or struts; to hold (something) in place or strengthen by a diagonal, transverse, or upright support. 

  • Of a peacock or other fowl: to stand or walk stiffly, with the tail erect and spread out. 

  • To walk across or on (a stage or other place) haughtily or proudly. 

  • To walk haughtily or proudly with one's head held high. 

  • To be attached diagonally or at a slant; also, to be bent at a sharp angle. 

noun
  • A beam or rod providing support. 

  • An act of strutting (“bracing or supporting (something) by a strut or struts (sense 1); attaching diagonally; bending at a sharp angle”); specifically, deviation (of the spoke of a wheel) from the normal position. 

  • An instrument for adjusting the pleats of a ruff. 

  • A step or walk done stiffly and with the head held high, often due to haughtiness or pride; affected dignity in walking. 

How often have the words beam and strut occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )