<B>beachmaster, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an officer in charge of the landing of troops or the unloading of supplies on a beachhead. </DL>
<A NAME="beachplum">
<B>beach plum,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a wild plum common on the northeastern coast of the United States. It belongs to the rose family. <DD><B> 2. </B>its purple or crimson, acid fruit, used in making preserves and jelly. </DL>
<A NAME="beachridge">
<B>beach ridge,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large mound of beach deposits behind a beach, heaped up by the action of waves. </DL>
<A NAME="beachseining">
<B>beach seining,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the use of a long seine which is drawn in a circle around a school of fish and then hauled onto the beach or a platform; drag seining. </DL>
<B>beachwear, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> bathing suits, shorts, shirts, robes, or other apparel for wearing at a beach. </DL>
<A NAME="beachy">
<B>beachy, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> covered with loose pebbles; shingly. </DL>
<A NAME="beacon">
<B>beacon, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a light or fire used as a signal to guide or warn. <BR> <I>Ex. The fire on the hill was a beacon to Highlanders that the British were coming.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a marker, signal light, or radio beams that guides aircraft and ships, especially through fog and storm. <BR> <I>Ex. The pilot flew safely through the fog guided by a radio beacon.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a tall tower for a signal; lighthouse. <BR> <I>Ex. The boys climbed the beacon to see far out to sea.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>any thing or person that is a guiding or warning signal. <BR> <I>Ex. The city lights were a beacon to approaching airplanes. (Figurative.) Washington and Madison were beacons for their times.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to give light to; guide; warn. <DD><B> 2. </B>to supply or mark with beacons. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to shine brightly, like a beacon. <DD><B> 2. </B>to serve as a beacon. </DL>
<A NAME="beaconage">
<B>beaconage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a system of beacons. <DD><B> 2. </B>a charge for its maintenance. </DL>
<A NAME="beaconry">
<B>beaconry, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the science of making or using radio or radar beacons. </DL>
<A NAME="bead">
<B>bead, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a small ball or bit of glass, metal, plastic, or other material, with a hole through it, so that it can be strung on a thread with others like it to form a necklace or bracelet, or sewn on various fabrics as ornaments. <BR> <I>Ex. The Indian belt was covered with a design made of colored beads.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>any small, round object like a drop or bubble. <BR> <I>Ex. Beads of sweat covered his forehead.</I> <DD><B> 3a. </B>a bubble in spirits, sparkling wines, or carbonated soft drinks. <DD><B> b. </B>the foam or head on beer or ale. <DD><B> 4. </B>a piece of metal at the front end of a gun barrel to aim by; sight. <DD><B> 5a. </B>a narrow, rounded molding, usually semicircular or nearly circular in section; beading. <DD><B> b. </B>any long, narrow strip approximately semicircular in section. <DD><B> 6. </B>a globular ornament, especially one of a series in a line or row. <DD><B> 7. </B>(Chemistry.) a globule of borax or other flux covered with a bit of the mineral to be analyzed, which is heated in a blowpipe flame as a test for the presence of metals. <DD><B> 8. </B>the droplet of the pure metal produced by cupellation in assaying for a precious metal. <DD><B> 9. </B>the flangelike part of an automobile or other pneumatic tire which engages the rim of the wheel. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1a. </B>to put or form beads on. <BR> <I>Ex. His forehead was beaded with sweat.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to ornament with beads. <DD><B> 2. </B>to string like beads. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) The lights of houses beaded the shore.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to form a bead or beads (used especially of liquids). <BR> <I>Ex. Eight to ten drops of this chemical per gallon of spray keep it from "beading" and help it to spread out in an even film (New York Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>beads,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>a string of beads. </I> <I>Ex. She dropped her beads, and several pearls were lost.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a string of beads for keeping count in saying prayers; rosary. <BR> <I>Ex. [The] beads [are] so put together that every set of ten smaller ones for the "Hail Marys" is parted by a larger bead, to tell when the "Our Father" must be recited (Daniel Rock).</I> <DD><B> c. </B>(Astronomy.) Baily's beads. <BR> <I>Ex. The beads vanish almost at once, and their disappearance marks the beginning of totality (Wasley S. Krogdahl).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>draw</B> (or <B>take</B>) <B>a bead on,</B> </I>to aim a gun at; take aim at. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) Columnist Art Buchwald ... drew a bead last week on a familiar target: [the] White House news secretary (Newsweek).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>say</B> (or <B>tell</B> or <B>count</B>) <B>one's beads,</B> </I>to say prayers, using a rosary. <BR> <I>Ex. All the people said their beads in a general silence (Gilbert Burnet).</I> adj. <B>beadlike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="beaded">
<B>beaded, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>trimmed with beads; having beads. <DD><B> 2. </B>like beads. </DL>
<A NAME="beadedlizard">
<B>beaded lizard,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a poisonous lizard of Mexico and Central America closely related to the Gila monster. </DL>
<A NAME="beadhouse">
<B>beadhouse, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a poorhouse or other charitable establishment in which the inmates were required or expected to pray for those who had founded or who supported it. Also, <B>bedehouse.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="beading">
<B>beading, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a trimming made of beads threaded into patterns; beadwork. <DD><B> 2. </B>a narrow lace or openwork trimming through which ribbon may be run. <DD><B> 3. </B>a pattern or edge of small beads on woodwork, silver or other metal, and plaster; beadwork. <DD><B> 4. </B>a narrow, rounded molding. <DD><B> 5. </B>a preparation for causing liquor to hang in drops about the glass when poured out. </DL>
<A NAME="beadle">
<B>beadle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>minor parish officer in the Church of England whose duties include keeping order and waiting on the clergy. In former times if a person went to sleep in church, the beadle woke him up. <DD><B> b. </B>a person having somewhat similar duties in certain other churches and some synagogues. <DD><B> 2. </B>Also, <B>bedel</B> (at Oxford), <B>bedell</B> (at Cambridge). an English university official with various functions, chief of which is that of macebearer for academic processions. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) a crier or messenger of a court. </DL>
<A NAME="beadledom">
<B>beadledom, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> stupid officiousness (from the frequent portrayal in literature of beadles, especially church beadles, as pompous and meddlesome). </DL>
<B>beadroll, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a list of deceased persons in the Roman Catholic Church, to be prayed for. <DD><B> 2. </B>a list or string of names. Also, <B>bederoll.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="beadruby">
<B>bead-ruby, </B>noun, pl. <B>-bies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a plant of the lily family found in wooded parts of Canada and the northern United States, bearing small, white flowers and pale-red berries suggestive of beads by their shape and arrangement on the stem of the plant; false lily of the valley. </DL>
<A NAME="beads">
<B>beads, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>bead.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="beadsman">
<B>beadsman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-men.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>(Archaic.) a person who says prayers, especially one who does so for another or others, and who is paid to do so. <DD><B> b. </B>(British.) the inmate of a beadhouse. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Scottish.) a public almsman or licensed beggar. Also, <B>bedesman.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="beadswoman">
<B>beadswoman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-women.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a woman who prays for a benefactor. <DD><B> 2. </B>an almswoman. Also, <B>bedeswoman.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="beadwork">
<B>beadwork, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>ornamental work made of or with beads. <DD><B> 2. </B>beading (def. 3). </DL>
<A NAME="beady">
<B>beady, </B>adjective, <B>beadier,</B> <B>beadiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>small, round, and shiny; beadlike. <BR> <I>Ex. The mouse has beady eyes.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>trimmed or ornamented with beads; beaded. <DD><B> 3. </B>full of bubbles; having a bead or beads; frothy. <BR> <I>Ex. a glass of ginger ale, all beady and cold.</I> adv. <B>beadily.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="beadyeyed">
<B>beady-eyed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having eyes which resemble beads; especially sharp and penetrating; acutely vigilant. </DL>
<A NAME="beagle">
<B>beagle, </B>noun, verb, <B>-gled,</B> <B>-gling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a small hound with smooth hair, short legs, and drooping ears, and bred for hunting small game. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1a. </B>to follow beagles or other small hounds on foot in pursuit of small game. <DD><B> b. </B>to run over a prescribed course as if doing this. <DD><B> 2. </B>(U.S. Slang.) to pry into something, such as a beagle is supposed to do. </DL>
<A NAME="beagler">
<B>beagler, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who hunts with beagles. </DL>
<A NAME="beagling">
<B>beagling, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the sport of running on foot after a beagle in hunting small game. </DL>
