noun / verb
bead
BEED/biːd/
A small rounded piece, often pierced for stringing.
The glass beads have small holes for threading onto a string.
Etymology
Old English gebed meant “prayer.” The name passed from prayers to the objects threaded on rosary strings to count them, then broadened to small decorative objects for stringing.
In context
So you can imagine a bead with a wire going through it and the bead can only slide back and forth.
More examples
- Small beads of water gather on the cold glass.
- Sweat beads on his forehead.
- The costume is decorated with tiny silver beads.
Forms
bead · beads · beaded · beading
Similar words
- pearl
- A particular natural gem rather than any small rounded ornament.
- droplet
- Specifically a small amount of liquid rather than a solid object.