bead

1 of 2

noun

1
a
obsolete : prayer
usually used in plural
b
beads plural : a series of prayers and meditations made with a rosary
2
: a small piece of material pierced for threading on a string or wire (as in a rosary)
3
beads plural
a
: rosary
b
: a necklace of beads or pearls
4
: a small ball-shaped body: such as
a
: a drop of sweat or blood
b
: a bubble formed in or on a beverage
c
: a small metal knob on a firearm used as a front sight
d
: a blob or a line of weld metal
5
: a projecting rim, band, or molding
6
: a precise knowledge or understanding
used in such phrases as get a bead on

bead

2 of 2

verb

beaded; beading; beads

transitive verb

1
: to furnish, adorn, or cover with beads or beading
2
: to string together like beads

intransitive verb

: to form into a bead
beader noun

Did you know?

The beads you might wear around your neck once represented prayers. The Middle English word bede at first meant “a prayer.” People then, as now, often kept track of the number and order of a series of prayers with the help of a string of little balls. Because each of these balls stands for a prayer, the word bede came to be used for the balls themselves. Today this same word, now spelled bead, is used to refer to any small piece of material with a hole in it for threading on a string or wire.

Examples of bead in a Sentence

Noun Beads of sweat began rolling down their faces. squeeze a bead or two of glue onto the seam
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But the real magic was in the details: the entire dress was hand-beaded with a dazzling array of gold, diamond, and iridescent bugle beads, as well as aurora-borealis stones. Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 20 Oct. 2024 Her avant-garde wings featured black beads, paired with black and silver heels with similar dangly detailing. Violet Goldstone, WWD, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
The trio looked elegant as ever on the red carpet for the Golden Heart Awards benefitting God's Love We Deliver at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Davis, 59, wore a black ankle-length dress with a v-neckline and beaded belt. Catherine Santino, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 The bride wore a silk gown by Narciso Rodriguez and beaded Manolo Blahnik sandals, a look that was splashed across newspapers around the world and went on to define Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s style. Naomi Pike, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bead 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bede prayer, prayer bead, from Old English bed, gebed prayer; akin to Old English biddan to entreat, pray — more at bid entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1577, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bead was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bead

Cite this Entry

“Bead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bead. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bead

1 of 2 noun
1
: a small piece of solid material with a hole by which it can be strung on a thread
2
: a small round mass
beads of perspiration
3
: a small knob on a gun used in taking aim
4
: a rim or molding (as on a board or tire) that sticks out

bead

2 of 2 verb
1
: to cover with beads or beading
2
: to string together like beads
3
: to form into a bead
beader noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English bede "prayer, rosary bead," from Old English bed "prayer"

Word Origin
The beads you might wear around your neck once represented prayers. The Middle English word bede at first meant "a prayer." People then, as now, often kept track of the number and order of a series of prayers with the help of a string of little balls. Because each of these balls stands for a prayer, the word bede came to be used for the balls themselves. Today this same word, now spelled bead, is used to refer to any small piece of material with a hole in it for threading on a string or wire. It has also been used to refer to any small, round object such as a drop of sweat.

More from Merriam-Webster on bead

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