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.
NounBeads of sweat began rolling down their faces. squeeze a bead or two of glue onto the seam
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The results: when there was no obstacle, the robber flies maintained the same line of sight to the bead throughout their approach in order to intercept and capture their prey. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Feb. 2022 Form the pocket and seal the sides with a bead of hot glue. Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2022 The weight of a brass or tungsten bead helps keep the fly very close to the river bottom where steelhead trout feed.cleveland, 17 Mar. 2022 Under the moniker Jerk-N-Waisted, Fofana has been hosting bead gatherings (with a side of jerked chicken, plantains, Jollof rice, and cabbage) to spread this message and bring together a community of women. Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2022 Sinn told Fox News Digital at the time that the suspects did take the water bead gun and the car during the night’s events.Fox News, 29 July 2022 Jones could go to Rylee Carter (8-0) to give teams different looks and keep opposing batters from getting a bead on his ace. Jonathan Saxon, The Courier-Journal, 3 June 2022 While his last film skewered the art industry, Triangle of Sadness draws a bead on the world of high fashion and the global 1 percent. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 May 2022 Some videos on the social media platform depict people shooting gel Orbeez balls at citizens with bead blasters or water pellet guns. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 22 July 2022
Verb
In the real world, this is the difference between a jacket wetting out and feeling damp after 6 months of use, and one that continues to bead water like new indefinitely. Mt Elliott, Outside Online, 16 July 2018 My sister and my cousins have all learned how to sew or bead the Ojibwe way, thanks to the guidance of our talented aunties (intricate floral beadwork is an Ojibwe signature). Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2022 The exterior fabric caused water to bead on the surface, so the shorts never got saturated and stayed lightweight. Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 13 July 2015 Regardless of the material, wiper blades leave residue on the windshield; silicone is inherently hydrophobic, which should help water bead off your windshield. Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 19 Oct. 2021 Sweat began to bead on her forehead shortly into the selection as her body rocked and swayed to the beat. Justin L. Mack, The Indianapolis Star, 4 July 2021 Immediately upon seeing Deng’s pieces, Alexandra commissioned her to bead a bag with a watermelon on it — something that Deng had never done before. Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, 7 June 2021 This adds an additional protective barrier, allowing bacterial fluids to bead up and reduce interaction time with the board. Chris Hachey, BGR, 19 May 2021 The durable canvas polyester material allows water to bead on top of the surface instead of soaking in, helping to prevent mildew or musty odors. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2021 See More
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