\Bead\, n. [OE. bede prayer, prayer bead, AS. bed, gebed,
prayer; akin to D. bede, G. bitte, AS. biddan, to ask, bid,
G. bitten to ask, and perh. to Gr. ? to persuade, L. fidere
to trust. Beads are used by the Roman Catholics to count
their prayers, one bead being dropped down a string every
time a prayer is said. Cf. Sp. cuenta bead, fr. contar to
count. See {Bid}, in to bid beads, and {Bide}.]
1. A prayer. [Obs.]
2. A little perforated ball, to be strung on a thread, and
   worn for ornament; or used in a rosary for counting
   prayers, as by Roman Catholics and Mohammedans, whence the
   phrases to tell beads, to at one's beads, to bid beads,
   etc., meaning, to be at prayer.
3. Any small globular body; as,
   (a) A bubble in spirits.
   (b) A drop of sweat or other liquid. ``Cold beads of
       midnight dew.'' --Wordsworth.
   (c) A small knob of metal on a firearm, used for taking
       aim (whence the expression to draw a bead, for, to
       take aim).
   (d) (Arch.) A small molding of rounded surface, the
       section being usually an arc of a circle. It may be
       continuous, or broken into short embossments.
   (e) (Chem.) A glassy drop of molten flux, as borax or
       microcosmic salt, used as a solvent and color test for
       several mineral earths and oxides, as of iron,
       manganese, etc., before the blowpipe; as, the borax
       bead; the iron bead, etc.
{Bead and butt} (Carp.), framing in which the panels are
   flush, having beads stuck or run upon the two edges.
   --Knight.
{Beat mold}, a species of fungus or mold, the stems of which
   consist of single cells loosely jointed together so as to
   resemble a string of beads. [Written also {bead mould}.]
{Bead tool}, a cutting tool, having an edge curved so as to
   make beads or beading.
{Bead tree} (Bot.), a tree of the genus {Melia}, the best
   known species of which ({M. azedarach}), has blue flowers
   which are very fragrant, and berries which are poisonous.

\Bead\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Beaded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Beading}.]
To ornament with beads or beading.

\Bead\, v. i.
To form beadlike bubbles.