n. & v.
n. 1 a a small usu. rounded and perforated piece of glass, stone, etc., for threading with others to make jewellery, or sewing on to fabric, etc. b (in pl.) a string of beads; a rosary. 2 a drop of liquid; a bubble. 3 a small knob in the foresight of a gun. 4 the inner edge of a pneumatic tyre that grips the rim of the wheel. 5 Archit. a a moulding like a series of beads. b a narrow moulding with a semicircular cross-section.
v. 1 tr. furnish or decorate with beads. 2 tr. string together. 3 intr. form or grow into beads. draw a bead on take aim at. tell one's beads use the beads of a rosary etc. in counting prayers. beaded adj.
[ orig. = 'prayer' (for which the earliest use of beads arose): OE gebed f. Gmc, rel. to BID ]