1530s, "loose, water-worn pebbles of the seashore," probably from a dialectal survival of Old English bece, bece "stream," from Proto-Germanic *bakiz (source also of Dutch beek, German Bach, Swedish bäck "stream, brook, creek"), perhaps from PIE root *bhog- indicating flowing water.

It was extended to loose, pebbly shores (1590s), and in dialect around Sussex and Kent beach still has the meaning "pebbles worn by the waves." French grève shows the same evolution. Beach ball is recorded by 1940; beach bum by 1950.

"to haul or run up on a beach," 1814, from beach (n.). Related: Beached; beaching.

place in California; according to Bright, the name is Obsipeño (Chumashan) /pismu'/ "tar, asphalt," literally "the dark stuff," from /piso'/ "to be black, dark."

1840, from beach (n.) + agent noun from comb (v.). Century Dictionary (1889) defines it as "A seafaring man generally, of vagrant and drunken habits, who idles about the wharves of seaports; used most frequently in countries bordering on the Pacific ocean." The original reference (Dana, "Two Years Before the Mast") used the word to describe the life of "half of the Americans and English who are adrift along the coasts of the Pacific and its islands."

It also could mean "a long, rolling wave."

also beachhead, "a position on a beach taken from the enemy by assault from the sea and used as a base for further attack," 1940, in reference to German military tactics in World War II, from beach (n.) + head (n.). On the model of bridgehead, but the image doesn't quite work; worse is the attempt at airhead.

also beachfront, "part of a town fronting and facing the sea, seashore of a town," American English, 1876, the beach front (in reference to Galveston); see beach (n.) + front (n.). As an adjective by 1889, in reference to Atlantic City.

"loud, deep, hollow, continued sound," c. 1500, from boom (v.). Compare boondi, an Aboriginal word for waves breaking on a beach (source of Sydney's Bondi Beach), said to be imitative of the sound.

"shore, beach," Old English strand "sea-shore," from Proto-Germanic *strandaz (source also of Danish and Swedish strand "beach, shore, strand," Old Norse strönd "border, edge, shore," Old Frisian strond, Middle Dutch strant, Dutch strand, Middle Low German strant, German Strand "beach"), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from PIE root *ster- "to stretch out." Strictly, the part of a shore that lies between the tide-marks. Formerly also used of river banks, hence the London street name (1246).

"empty-headed person," 1972, from air (n.1) + head (n.). Earlier as a term in mining (mid-19c.) and as a military term (1950) based on beach-head.

"sand piled up and shaped to resemble a little castle," such as children make at the beach, 1838, from sand (n.) + castle (n.). Also figurative of impermanence.