bead

bead — noun

1. a tiny round object, often made from glass, wood, or plastic, with a hole runnin

1.nounB1
Definition

a tiny round object, often made from glass, wood, or plastic, with a hole running through the middle so you can thread it onto string or wire to make necklaces, bracelets, and similar items.

Example

Leila threaded blue glass beads onto a leather cord to make a bracelet for her sister.

thread + beads onto + [string]

The little wooden beads on the necklace were painted bright red and yellow.

Common collocations
  • string of beads
  • glass bead
  • wooden bead
  • thread beads onto
Synonyms
  • pearl

    a specific kind of round object from oysters; only used loosely as a synonym

  • pellet

    a small ball, but usually solid with no hole through it

Grammar Patterns

a string of beads

a bead of [material]

Usage Note

Almost always countable and often plural, since beads are typically used in groups on a string or wire.

Common Mistakes

She bought a bead necklace made of one bead.
She bought a necklace made of many small beads.
a single bead is rarely worn alone; the word usually appears in the plural.

2. a tiny round drop of a liquid such as sweat, blood, or water that forms on a sur

2.nounB2
Definition

a tiny round drop of a liquid such as sweat, blood, or water that forms on a surface and looks like a small ball.

Example

Beads of sweat rolled down Sami's forehead as he carried the heavy boxes upstairs.

beads of sweat — typical collocation

Tiny beads of water clung to the cold glass after Yael poured the iced tea.

beads of water on a surface

Common collocations
  • beads of sweat
  • beads of perspiration
  • beads of blood
  • beads of dew
Synonyms
  • drop

    more general; doesn't suggest the round, ball-like shape that 'bead' does

  • droplet

    small drop, but usually airborne or scattered, not formed on skin or a surface

Grammar Patterns

beads of sweat / blood / water

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'of + liquid noun' (sweat, blood, water, dew, oil). Rarely used without specifying the liquid.

Common Mistakes

There was a bead on his forehead.
There was a bead of sweat on his forehead.
readers need the 'of + liquid' phrase to picture the meaning.

3. a narrow rounded strip running along the edge of wooden furniture, doors, or pan

3.nounC1
Definition

a narrow rounded strip running along the edge of wooden furniture, doors, or panels as decoration; also called beading.

Example

The carpenter ran a smooth wooden bead along the edge of the bookshelf for a finished look.

carpentry register

A delicate bead of carved oak framed each panel of the antique cabinet door.

Common collocations
  • a bead of oak
  • decorative bead
  • run a bead along
Synonyms
  • molding

    American spelling; broader term covering many decorative wood strips, not only rounded ones

Usage Note

Specialist term used in carpentry and joinery. Outside that field, learners are unlikely to meet this sense.

Idioms

draw/get a bead on somebody/something

idiom

To aim a gun very carefully at a target before shooting.

The hunter drew a bead on the deer and waited.

Did the sniper get a bead on the target before firing?

bead — verb

Word family

  • beaded
    adjectiveC1
  • beading
    nounC1
  • beady
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe small, roughly round objects, but they differ in material, use, and register. A 'bead' is the everyday choice when the small object has a hole through the middle and is meant to be threaded onto string or wire — typical of jewellery and craftwork. A 'pearl' is a specific natural object grown inside an oyster, often white and shiny, valued for its beauty rather than for being threaded; people may informally call any small round white bead a 'pearl', but strictly the word names a material. A 'pellet' is small, hard, and solid with no hole, often used for animal food or ammunition. A 'marble' is a small glass ball used as a child's toy, larger than most beads and never strung. Compare: 'She wore a string of glass beads' (jewellery) versus 'He fed pellets to the rabbits' (animal food).

bead ↗pearl ↗pelletmarble ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • string of beads
  • glass beads
  • wooden beads
  • beads of sweat
  • beads of water

Phrases

Prepositions

  • bead of [liquid]
  • bead on [surface]
  • bead with [decoration]

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'bead' comes from Old English 'gebed', which meant 'a prayer'. In the Middle Ages, people used a string of small balls to count their prayers — one ball for each prayer they said. Over time, the word stopped meaning the prayer itself and came to mean the small balls used to count them. From there, it spread to any small round object with a hole through it, and later to drops of liquid that look like tiny balls.