World Book 1997 4.0

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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>BEAD</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="bead"> bead, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. 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. Ex. The Indian belt was covered with a design made of colored beads. <DD> 2. any small, round object like a drop or bubble. Ex. Beads of sweat covered his forehead. <DD> 3a. a bubble in spirits, sparkling wines, or carbonated soft drinks. <DD> b. the foam or head on beer or ale. <DD> 4. a piece of metal at the front end of a gun barrel to aim by; sight. <DD> 5a. a narrow, rounded molding, usually semicircular or nearly circular in section; beading. <DD> b. any long, narrow strip approximately semicircular in section. <DD> 6. a globular ornament, especially one of a series in a line or row. <DD> 7. (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> 8. the droplet of the pure metal produced by cupellation in assaying for a precious metal. <DD> 9. the flangelike part of an automobile or other pneumatic tire which engages the rim of the wheel. <DD>v.t. 1a. to put or form beads on. Ex. His forehead was beaded with sweat. <DD> b. to ornament with beads. <DD> 2. to string like beads. Ex. (Figurative.) The lights of houses beaded the shore. <DD>v.i. to form a bead or beads (used especially of liquids). 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). expr. beads, <DD> a. a string of beads. Ex. She dropped her beads, and several pearls were lost. <DD> b. a string of beads for keeping count in saying prayers; rosary. 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). <DD> c. (Astronomy.) Baily's beads. Ex. The beads vanish almost at once, and their disappearance marks the beginning of totality (Wasley S. Krogdahl). expr. draw (or take) a bead on, to aim a gun at; take aim at. Ex. (Figurative.) Columnist Art Buchwald ... drew a bead last week on a familiar target: [the] White House news secretary (Newsweek). expr. say (or tell or count) one's beads, to say prayers, using a rosary. Ex. All the people said their beads in a general silence (Gilbert Burnet). adj. beadlike. </DL> <A NAME="beaded"> beaded, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. trimmed with beads; having beads. <DD> 2. like beads. </DL> <A NAME="beadedlizard"> beaded lizard,<DL COMPACT><DD> a poisonous lizard of Mexico and Central America closely related to the Gila monster. </DL> <A NAME="beadhouse"> beadhouse, 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, bedehouse. </DL> <A NAME="beading"> beading, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a trimming made of beads threaded into patterns; beadwork. <DD> 2. a narrow lace or openwork trimming through which ribbon may be run. <DD> 3. a pattern or edge of small beads on woodwork, silver or other metal, and plaster; beadwork. <DD> 4. a narrow, rounded molding. <DD> 5. a preparation for causing liquor to hang in drops about the glass when poured out. </DL> <A NAME="beadle"> beadle, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1a. 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. a person having somewhat similar duties in certain other churches and some synagogues. <DD> 2. Also, bedel (at Oxford), bedell (at Cambridge). an English university official with various functions, chief of which is that of macebearer for academic processions. <DD> 3. (Obsolete.) a crier or messenger of a court. </DL> <A NAME="beadledom"> beadledom, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> stupid officiousness (from the frequent portrayal in literature of beadles, especially church beadles, as pompous and meddlesome). </DL> <A NAME="beadlightning"> bead lightning, =chain lightning (def. 1).</DL> <A NAME="beadroll"> beadroll, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a list of deceased persons in the Roman Catholic Church, to be prayed for. <DD> 2. a list or string of names. Also, bederoll. </DL> <A NAME="beadruby"> bead-ruby, noun, pl. -bies.<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"> beads, noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under bead. </DL> <A NAME="beadsman"> beadsman, noun, pl. -men.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1a. (Archaic.) a person who says prayers, especially one who does so for another or others, and who is paid to do so. <DD> b. (British.) the inmate of a beadhouse. <DD> 2. (Scottish.) a public almsman or licensed beggar. Also, bedesman. </DL> <A NAME="beadswoman"> beadswoman, noun, pl. -women.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a woman who prays for a benefactor. <DD> 2. an almswoman. Also, bedeswoman. </DL> <A NAME="beadwork"> beadwork, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. ornamental work made of or with beads. <DD> 2. beading (def. 3). </DL> <A NAME="beady"> beady, adjective, beadier, beadiest.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. small, round, and shiny; beadlike. Ex. The mouse has beady eyes. <DD> 2. trimmed or ornamented with beads; beaded. <DD> 3. full of bubbles; having a bead or beads; frothy. Ex. a glass of ginger ale, all beady and cold. adv. beadily. </DL> <A NAME="beadyeyed"> beady-eyed, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having eyes which resemble beads; especially sharp and penetrating; acutely vigilant. </DL> <A NAME="beagle"> beagle, noun, verb, -gled, -gling.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun a small hound with smooth hair, short legs, and drooping ears, and bred for hunting small game. <DD>v.i. 1a. to follow beagles or other small hounds on foot in pursuit of small game. <DD> b. to run over a prescribed course as if doing this. <DD> 2. (U.S. Slang.) to pry into something, such as a beagle is supposed to do. </DL> <A NAME="beagler"> beagler, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who hunts with beagles. </DL> <A NAME="beagling"> beagling, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the sport of running on foot after a beagle in hunting small game. </DL> <A NAME="beak"> beak (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the bill of a bird, especially one that is strong and hooked and useful in striking or tearing. Eagles, hawks, and parrots have beaks. (SYN) nib. <DD> 2. a similar part in certain other animals. Turtles and octopuses have beaks. (SYN) proboscis. <DD> 3. (Slang.) the human nose, especially when somewhat pointed or hooked. (SYN) hooknose. <DD> 4. anything shaped like a beak, such as a projection at the prow of an ancient warship, or the spout of a pitcher or jug. <DD> 5. a sharp, projecting process, or prolonged tip in some plants, such as in the seeds of the crane's bill. <DD> 6. (Architecture.) a small, overhanging fillet with a channel behind it, forming a drip from which rain water will fall. adj. beaklike. </DL> <A NAME="beak"> beak (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British Slang.) <DD> 1. a magistrate. <DD> 2. (originally at Eton, now used generally) a schoolmaster, especially a headmaster. </DL> <A NAME="beaked"> beaked, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. having a beak, or something resembling a beak. <DD> 2. shaped like a beak; hooked. </DL> <A NAME="beakedparsley"> beaked parsley, =chervil.</DL> <A NAME="beakedwhale"> beaked whale,<DL COMPACT><DD> a whale having an extended, pointed head in the shape of a beak, and very few teeth on each jaw, limited chiefly to the Northern Hemisphere. </DL> <A NAME="beaker"> beaker, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a large cup or drinking glass with a wide mouth. Ex. a full beaker of wine. (SYN) goblet. <DD> 2. a thin glass or metal cup used especially in laboratories. A beaker has a flat bottom, no handle, and often a small lip for pouring. <DD> 3. the contents of a beaker. <DD> 4. a small, bell-shaped clay container which some prehistoric tribes of the Bronze Age buried with their dead. </DL> <A NAME="beaker"> Beaker, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the Beaker Folk. Ex. Beaker pottery, the Beaker culture. </DL> <A NAME="beakerfolk"> Beaker Folk or People,<DL COMPACT><DD> a prehistoric group of European people before the Bronze Age whose significant artifact was pottery in the shape of a bell or beaker. </DL> <A NAME="beakful"> beakful, noun, pl. -fuls.<DL COMPACT><DD> as much as a beak can hold. Ex. The bird flew off with a beakful of grass. </DL> <A NAME="beakiron"> beakiron, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the horn or tapering end of an anvil. <DD> 2. an anvil with such a horn. </DL> <A NAME="beallandendall"> be-all and end-all,<DL COMPACT><DD> the whole or essence of anything. Ex. Victories ... are not the be-all and end-all of the [Olympic] Games (London Times). </DL> <A HREF="beam.dic">NEXT</A>