n.
- a small, rounded piece of glass, stone, plastic, etc., perforated and typically threaded in a string with others to make a necklace or rosary.
- a drop of a liquid on a surface.
- a small knob forming the foresight of a gun.
- the reinforced inner edge of a tyre.
- an ornamental plaster moulding resembling a string of beads or having a semicircular cross section.
v.
- decorate or cover with beads.
- form into a string like beads.
Phrase
- draw
(or get)
a bead on
informal, chiefly N. Amer. take aim at with a gun.
Derivative
Etymology
OE gebed ‘prayer’, of Gmc origin; current senses derive from the use of a rosary (each bead representing a prayer).