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bead

Syllabification: (bead)

Pronunciation: /bēd/

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Definition of bead

noun

1a small piece of glass, stone, or similar material, typically rounded and perforated for threading with others as a necklace or rosary or for sewing onto fabric.
(beads) a necklace made of a string of beads.
(beads) a rosary.

2something resembling a bead or a string of beads, in particular.
a drop of a liquid on a surface:beads of sweat
a long, narrow strip of caulking compound, adhesive or similar material applied to a surface.
a small knob forming the front sight of a gun.
the reinforced inner edge of a pneumatic tire that grips the rim of the wheel.
an ornamental molding resembling a string of beads or of a semicircular cross-section.

verb

[with object]

1 (often as adjective beaded) decorate or cover with beads:a beaded evening bag
string (beads) together.

2cover (a surface) with drops of moisture:his face was beaded with perspiration

Phrases

draw (or get) a bead on: chiefly North American take aim at.; fully understand or make sense of:it’s hard to draw a bead on the stock market these days
tell (or say) one's beads: use the beads of a rosary in counting prayers.

Origin:

Old English gebed 'prayer', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bede and German Gebet, also to bid¹. Current senses derive from the use of a rosary, each bead representing a prayer

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Other

bead

noun

verb

Phrases

draw (or get) a bead on

tell (or say) one's beads

Origin:

bead in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for bead

More words in this category

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