Noun
a small ball with a hole through the middle

Noun
a beaded molding for edging or decorating furniture

Noun
a shape that is small and round; "he studied the shapes of low-viscosity drops"; "beads of sweat on his forehead"

Verb
string together like beads

Verb
decorate by sewing beads onto; "bead the wedding gown"

Verb
form into beads, as of water or sweat, for example

---

n.
A prayer.

n.
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.

n.
Any small globular body

n.
A bubble in spirits.

n.
A drop of sweat or other liquid.

n.
A small knob of metal on a firearm, used for taking aim (whence the expression to draw a bead, for, to take aim).

n.
A small molding of rounded surface, the section being usually an arc of a circle. It may be continuous, or broken into short embossments.

n.
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.

v. t.
To ornament with beads or beading.

v. i.
To form beadlike bubbles.

---

Bead

Bead , n. [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.] 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 and butt (Carp.), framing in which the panels are flush, having beads stuck or run upon the two edges. Knight. -- Beat mold, a species of fungus or mold, the stems of which consist of single cells loosely jointed together so as to resemble a string of beads. [Written also bead mould.] -- Bead tool, a cutting tool, having an edge curved so as to make beads or beading. -- Bead tree (Bot.), a tree of the genus Melia, the best known species of which (M. azedarach), has blue flowers which are very fragrant, and berries which are poisonous.

Bead

Bead, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Beading.] To ornament with beads or beading.

Bead

Bead, v. i. To form beadlike bubbles.

A prayer.

To ornament with beads or beading.

To form beadlike bubbles.