JOB'S-TEARS

/johbz"tearz"/ , n.

1. ( used with a pl. v. ) the hard, nearly spherical bracts that surround the female flowers of an Asian grass, Coix lacryma-jobi, and which when ripe are used as beads.

2. ( used with a sing. v. ) the grass itself.

[ 1590-1600 ]