beads

bead  (bd)

n.

1.

a. A small, often round piece of material, such as glass, plastic, or wood, that is pierced for stringing or threading.

b. beads A necklace made of such pieces.

c. beads Roman Catholic Church A rosary.

d. Obsolete A prayer. Often used in the plural.

2. A small, round object, especially:

a. A drop of moisture: beads of sweat.

b. A bubble of gas in a liquid.

c. A small metal knob on the muzzle of a firearm, such as a rifle, used for sighting.

3. A strip of material, usually wood, with one molded edge placed flush against the inner part of a door or window frame.

4. Architecture

a. A decoration consisting of a usually continuous series of small spherical shapes, as on a convex molding.

b. Beading.

5. A projecting rim or lip, as on a pneumatic tire.

6. A line of continuously applied ductile material, such as solder or caulking compound.

7. Chemistry A globule of fused borax or other flux used in a bead test.

tr. & intr.v. bead·ed, bead·ing, beads

To furnish with or collect into beads.

Idiom:

draw/get a bead on

To take careful aim at.

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[Middle English bede, rosary bead, prayer, from Old English bed, bedu, gebed, prayer; see g^whedh- in Indo-European roots.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

beads - several beads threaded together on a string string of beads prayer beads, rosary - a string of beads used in counting prayers (especially by Catholics) string - a collection of objects threaded on a single strand peag, wampumpeag, wampum - small cylindrical beads made from polished shells and fashioned into strings or belts; used by certain Native American peoples as jewelry or currency