bead Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a small ball with a hole through the middle
  2. noun a shape that is spherical and small
    pearl; drop.
    • he studied the shapes of low-viscosity drops
    • beads of sweat on his forehead
  3. noun a beaded molding for edging or decorating furniture
    beadwork; beading; astragal.
  4. verb form into beads, as of water or sweat, for example
  5. verb decorate by sewing beads onto
    • bead the wedding gown
  6. verb string together like beads

WordNet

Bead noun
Etymology
OE. bede prayer, prayer bead, AS. bed, gebed, prayer; akin to D. bede, G. bitte, AS. biddan, to ask, bid, G. bitten to ask, and perh. to Gr. to persuade, L. fidere to trust. Beads are used by the Roman Catholics to count their prayers, one bead being dropped down a string every time a prayer is said. Cf. Sp. cuenta bead, fr. contar to count. See Bid, in to bid beads, and Bide.
Definitions
  1. A prayer. Obs.
  2. A little perforated ball, to be strung on a thread, and worn for ornament; or used in a rosary for counting prayers, as by Roman Catholics and Mohammedans, whence the phrases to tell beads, to at one's beads, to bid beads, etc., meaning, to be at prayer.
  3. Any small globular body; as, (a) A bubble in spirits. (b) A drop of sweat or other liquid. "Cold beads of midnight dew." Wordsworth. (c) A small knob of metal on a firearm, used for taking aim (whence the expression to draw a bead, for, to take aim). (d) (Arch.) A small molding of rounded surface, the section being usually an arc of a circle. It may be continuous, or broken into short embossments. (e) (Chem.) 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; as, the borax bead; the iron bead, etc.
Bead transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Beaded; present participle & verbal noun Beading
Definitions
  1. To ornament with beads or beading.
Bead intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To form beadlike bubbles.

Webster 1913