Link Centre Dictionary

bead

UK/ˈbiːd/ US/ˈbɪi̯d/ uncommon archaic dated
noun (3) verb (3)

noun

1.

a small ball with a hole through the middle

2.

a shape that is small and round

  • “he studied the shapes of low-viscosity drops”
  • “beads of sweat on his forehead”
Synonyms
3.

a beaded molding for edging or decorating furniture

Synonyms

verb

1.

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

2.

decorate by sewing beads onto

  • “bead the wedding gown”
3.

Origin

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”).

Phrases

  • adder bead terms derived from bead (noun)
  • anal beads terms derived from bead (noun)
  • angle bead terms derived from bead (noun)
  • Baily's beads terms derived from bead (noun)
  • bead breaker terms derived from bead (noun)
  • bead fern terms derived from bead (noun)
  • beaded lacewing terms derived from bead (noun)
  • beaded lizard terms derived from bead (noun)

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.