n. - A prayer.
n. - A little perforated ball, to be strung on a thread, and worn for ornament; or used in a rosary for counting prayers, as by Roman Catholics and Mohammedans, whence the phrases to tell beads, to at one's beads, to bid beads, etc., meaning, to be at prayer.
n. - Any small globular body
n. - A bubble in spirits.
n. - A drop of sweat or other liquid.
n. - A small knob of metal on a firearm, used for taking aim (whence the expression to draw a bead, for, to take aim).
n. - A small molding of rounded surface, the section being usually an arc of a circle. It may be continuous, or broken into short embossments.
n. - A glassy drop of molten flux, as borax or microcosmic salt, used as a solvent and color test for several mineral earths and oxides, as of iron, manganese, etc., before the blowpipe; as, the borax bead; the iron bead, etc.
v. t. - To ornament with beads or beading.
v. i. - To form beadlike bubbles.