sunbeam

[ suhn-beem ]

/ ˈsʌnˌbim /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sunbeam ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a beam or ray of sunlight.

Australian Slang. a dish or utensil that has not been used during a meal and so does not have to be washed.

Nearby words

Origin of sunbeam

before 1000; Middle English sunnebem, Old English sun(ne)bēam. See sun, beam

Related formssun·beamed, sun·beam·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sunbeam

Hilda the Sunbeam was not despised because she climbed the mountainside to fetch milk and butter for the family.
Erling the Bold|R.M. Ballantyne
Poor dickypoor Sunbeam, said Miss Roywhat can be wrong with you?
Girls of the True Blue|L. T. Meade
But while the noise still sounded a marvellous light stole into the room, a light brighter than any sunbeam.
Stories of King Arthur's Knights|Mary MacGregor
Just at this moment another little girl came darting like a sunbeam into the room.
Little Mittens for The Little Darlings|Frances Elizabeth Barrow

A class was organized on board the Sunbeam, and lectures were delivered by a physician.
Lives of Girls Who Became Famous|Sarah Knowles Bolton

British Dictionary definitions for sunbeam

sunbeam

/ (ˈsʌnˌbiːm) /

noun

a beam, ray, or stream of sunlight

Australian slang a piece of crockery or cutlery laid for a meal but remaining unused

Derived Formssunbeamed or sunbeamy, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sunbeam