BEACH. A littoral margin, or line of coast along the sea-shore, composed of sand, gravel, shingle, broken shells, or a mixture of them all: any gently sloping part of the coast alternately dry and covered by the tide. The same as _strand_. BEACH, TO. Sudden landing--to run a boat on the shore, to land a person with intent to desert him--an old buccaneer custom. To land a boat on a beach before a dangerous sea, this demands practical skill, for which the Dover and Deal men are famed. BEACH-COMBERS. Loiterers around a bay or harbour. BEACH-COMBING. Loafing about a port to filch small things. BEACH-FLEA. A small crustacean (_Talitra_) frequenting sandy shores. BEACH-GRASS. _Alga marina_ thrown up by the surf or tide. BEACHING A VESSEL. _See under_ VOLUNTARY STRANDING. Also, the act of running a vessel up on the beach for various purposes where there is no other accommodation. BEACH-MAN. A person on the coast of Africa who acts as interpreter to shipmasters, and assists them in conducting the trade. BEACH-MASTER. A superior officer, captain, appointed to superintend disembarkation of an attacking force, who holds plenary powers, and generally leads the storming party. His acts when in the heat of action, if he summarily shoot a coward, are unquestioned--poor Falconer, to wit! BEACH-MEN. A name applied to boatmen and those who land people through a heavy surf. BEACH-RANGERS. Men hanging about sea-ports, who have been turned out of vessels for bad conduct. BEACH-TRAMPERS. A name applied to the coast-guard. BEACON. [Anglo-Saxon, _béacn_.] A post or stake erected over a shoal or sand-bank, as a warning to seamen to keep at a distance; also a signal-mark placed on the top of hills, eminences, or buildings near the shore for the safe guidance of shipping. BEACONAGE. A payment levied for the maintenance of beacons. BEAFT. Often used by east-country men for abaft. BEAK, OR BEAK-HEAD. A piece of brass like a beak, fixed at the head of the ancient galleys, with which they pierced their enemies. Pisæus is said to have first added the rostrum or beak-head. Later it was a small platform at the fore part of the upper deck, but the term is now applied to that part without the ship before the forecastle, or knee of the head, which is fastened to the stem and is supported by the main knee. Latterly, to meet steam propulsion, the whole of this is enlarged, strengthened, and armed with iron plates, and thus the armed stem revives the ancient strategy in sea-fights. Shakspeare makes Ariel thus allude to the beak in the "Tempest:"-- "I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, I flam'd amazement." BEAKER. A flat drinking tumbler or cup, from the German _becher_. (_See_ BICKER.) BEAK-HEAD BEAM. For this important timber _see_ CAT-BEAM. BEAK-HEAD BULK-HEAD. The old termination aft of the space called _beak-head_, which inclosed the fore part of the ship.