bead en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈbiːd/
- [ˈbɪi̯d]
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English bede (“a prayer”), also “a bead for counting prayers” in a peire of bedes (literally “a pair of beads”), from Old English bedu, bed, ġebed (“a request, entreaty, prayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *bedu, *bed, *gabed, from Proto-Germanic *bedō, *bedą. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gebäd (“prayer”), Cimbrian gapéet (“prayer”), Dutch gebed and bede (“prayer”), German Gebet (“prayer”), Low German Gebett (“prayer”), Luxembourgish Gebiet (“prayer”), Vilamovian gybāt (“prayer”).
Meanings
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(archaic) Prayer, later especially with a rosary.
That he must believe in the Pope;—go to Mass;—cross himself;—tell his beads;—be a good Catholick, and that this, in all conscience, was enough to carry him to heaven.
1760, Laurence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, Penguin, published 2003, page 115:
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Each in a string of small balls making up the rosary or paternoster.
Holonym: prayer beads
- A small, round object. ▸ A small, round object with a hole to allow it to be threaded on a cord or wire, particularly for decorative purposes.
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A small, round object. ▸ Various small, round solid objects.
Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.
2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200:
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A small, round object. ▸ A small drop of water or other liquid.
beads of sweat
- A small, round object. ▸ A bubble, in spirits.
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A small, round object. ▸ A small, round ball at the end of a barrel of a gun used for aiming.
But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶[…]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.
1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:She drew a bead on the target and fired.
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(broadly) A small, round object. ▸ A small, round ball at the end of a barrel of a gun used for aiming. ▸ Knowledge sufficient to direct one's activities to a purpose.
We now have a bead on the main technical issues for the project
- A ridge, band, or molding. ▸ A rigid edge of a tire that mounts it on a wheel; tire bead.
- A ridge, band, or molding. ▸ A narrow molding with semicircular section.
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(dated, physical) A glassy drop of molten flux, as borax or microcosmic salt, used as a solvent and color test for several mineral earths and oxides, as of iron, manganese, etc., before the blowpipe.
the borax bead; the iron bead, etc.
- A decorative, convex, rounded profile (often a half-circle) cut into an edge or surface of wood, typically defined by a narrow, deep channel called a quirk.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| beads | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
beadlet (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead-rattler (terms derived from bead (noun)) · St. Cuthbert's beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · borax bead test (terms derived from bead (noun)) · prayer beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadmaker (terms derived from bead (noun)) · multibead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beady (terms derived from bead (noun)) · fairy-beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · take a bead on (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadful (terms derived from bead (noun)) · lovebead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead tracer (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beader (terms derived from bead (noun)) · love-bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bath bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · seed bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · Baily's beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead lily (terms derived from bead (noun)) · polybead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · iodobead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead proof (terms derived from bead (noun)) · prayer bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadwork (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadsman (terms derived from bead (noun)) · immunobead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead fern (terms derived from bead (noun)) · anal beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · stop bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bedeman (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beaded lacewing (terms derived from bead (noun)) · parting bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead-tree (terms derived from bead (noun)) · water bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · macrobead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · microbead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · string of beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · casing bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · jet bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · Cuddy's beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · jumbie bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead maze (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead seat (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadroll (terms derived from bead (noun)) · tyre bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · worry beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead breaker (terms derived from bead (noun)) · dzi bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · sticky bead argument (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadlike (terms derived from bead (noun)) · pony bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadless (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beaded lizard (terms derived from bead (noun)) · adder bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · angle bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead lightning (terms derived from bead (noun)) · captive bead ring (terms derived from bead (noun)) · love bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · Hail Mary bead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadboard (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bid beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · nanobead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · draw a bead on (terms derived from bead (noun)) · jetbead (terms derived from bead (noun)) · bead tree (terms derived from bead (noun)) · drop one's beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadery (terms derived from bead (noun)) · read someone's beads (terms derived from bead (noun)) · beadmaking (terms derived from bead (noun))
Hyponyms
hair pipe (small, round, pierced object)
Synonyms
Translations (142)
mk монисто (rosary ball) · it grano (small, round, pierced object) · tr boncuk (small, round, pierced object) · nl korrel (small, round, pierced object) · fa بلژی (small, round, pierced object) · ga mónóg (small drop of liquid) · wa gotlete (small drop of liquid) · hu irányzék (front sight of a gun) · de Korn (front sight of a gun) · ota مهره (small, round, pierced object) · pl paciorek (small, round, pierced object) · sl perla (small, round, pierced object) · ca dena (rosary ball) · kum минчакъ (rosary ball) · cmn 珠 (rosary ball) · mi pirepire (small, round, pierced object) · alt мончок (rosary ball) · hu csepp (small drop of liquid) · mk монистро (rosary ball) · es mullo (small, round, pierced object) · cmn 珠子 (small, round, pierced object) · ru ка́пелька (small drop of liquid) · sv pärla (small, round, pierced object) · bg топче (small, round, pierced object) · ko 구슬 (small, round, pierced object) · kum инжи (rosary ball) · it perlina (small, round, pierced object) · apw yoo (small, round, pierced object) · gl doa (small, round, pierced object) · sk kvapôčka (small drop of liquid) · pl paciorek (rosary ball) · gl doa (rosary ball) · el χάντρα (small, round, pierced object) · nv yoo’ (small, round, pierced object) · pdt Krall (small, round, pierced object) · ja ロザリオ (rosary ball) · es mostacilla (small, round, pierced object) · bg капчица (small drop of liquid) · gu મણકો (small, round, pierced object) · mk монистро (small, round, pierced object) · ast plata (rosary ball) · mk монисто (small, round, pierced object) · gu મણકો (rosary ball) · sk perlička (small, round, pierced object) · apk zhoo (small, round, pierced object) · alt мончок (small, round, pierced object) · ug مونچاق (small, round, pierced object) · fa مهره (rosary ball) · az muncuq (rosary ball) · it grano (rosary ball) · sl koralda (small, round, pierced object) · pdt Krall (rosary ball) · ru чётки (rosary ball) · alt јинји (rosary ball) · gl pinga (small drop of liquid) · es rocalla (small, round, pierced object) · de Tropfen (small drop of liquid) · ky мончок (rosary ball) · enm bede (small, round, pierced object) · cic oksop (rosary ball) · hu gyöngyszem (small, round, pierced object) · pl kropla (small drop of liquid) · eo bido (rosary ball) · pl koralik (small, round, pierced object) · sw ushanga (small, round, pierced object) · ga boilgeog (small drop of liquid) · ms manik (small, round, pierced object) · ru бу́сы (rosary ball) · cmn 小滴 (small drop of liquid) · sv pärla (small drop of liquid) · es mullo (rosary ball) · nl parel (small, round, pierced object) · ru ка́пля (small drop of liquid) · fa منجوق (small, round, pierced object) · pt conta (rosary ball) · xdq духа́р (small, round, pierced object) · cy glain (rosary ball) · te పూస (rosary ball) · nl druppel (small drop of liquid) · apl yoo (small, round, pierced object) · el στάλα (small drop of liquid) · sw tasbihi (rosary ball) · es cuenta (small, round, pierced object) · ru бу́сина (small, round, pierced object) · eo guto (small drop of liquid) · hu gyöngy (small, round, pierced object) · it goccia (small drop of liquid) · es agallón (rosary ball) · cic oksop (small, round, pierced object) · hu üveggyöngy (small, round, pierced object) · hu klikker (small, round, pierced object) · bg мънисто (rosary ball) · apw yoo’ (small, round, pierced object) · ja ビーズ (small, round, pierced object) · de Perle (small, round, pierced object) · rif tadmant (rosary ball) · gl adramán (small, round, pierced object) · enm bede (rosary ball) · pl koralik (rosary ball) · th ลูกปัด (small, round, pierced object) · ru би́сер (rosary ball) · ota بونجق (small, round, pierced object) · fi helmi (rosary ball) · fi pisara (small drop of liquid) · es cuenta (rosary ball) · es abalorio (small, round, pierced object) · pt missanga (small, round, pierced object) · vi tràng hạt (rosary ball) · it gocciolina (small drop of liquid) · sl jagoda (rosary ball) · ja 南京玉 (small, round, pierced object) · sk muška (front sight of a gun) · ko 비즈 (rosary ball) · hu szemcse (small, round, pierced object) · sk korálka (small, round, pierced object) · apm yoo (small, round, pierced object) · tr damla (small drop of liquid) · ota بونجق (rosary ball) · tr boncuk (rosary ball) · es gargantilla (small, round, pierced object) · cmn 念珠 (rosary ball) · nl kraal (rosary ball) · uk бісери́на (rosary ball) · vi chuỗi hạt (rosary ball) · fi helmi (small, round, pierced object) · pt gota (small drop of liquid) · hu golyócska (small, round, pierced object) · fr perle (small, round, pierced object) · oc grun (rosary ball) · ckb مووروو (small, round, pierced object) · gl abelorio (small, round, pierced object) · sk kropaj (small drop of liquid) · cy glain (small, round, pierced object) · uk нами́стина (small, round, pierced object) · fr gouttelette (small drop of liquid) · hu célgömb (front sight of a gun) · eo bido (small, round, pierced object) · hu szem (rosary ball) · pt conta (small, round, pierced object) · fr grain (rosary ball) · fi helmi (small drop of liquid) · cy pader (rosary ball)