Noun

(en noun)

(lb) Prayer, later especially with a rosary.

*1760 , (Laurence Sterne), , Penguin 2003, p.115:

*:That he must believe in the Pope;—go to Mass;—cross himself;—tell his beads ;—be a good Catholick, and that this, in all conscience, was enough to carry him to heaven.

Each in a string of small balls making up the rosary or paternoster.

A small round object.

#A small round object with a hole to allow it to be threaded on a cord or wire.

#A small round solid object.

#*{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Charles T. Ambrose

, title= Alzheimer’s Disease , volume=101, issue=3, page=200, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads .}}

#A small drop of water or other liquid.

#:

#A bubble, in spirits.

#A small round ball at the end of a barrel of a gun used for aiming.

#:

#*

#*:But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶, and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.

(lb) A ridge, band, or molding.

#A rigid edge of a tire that mounts it on a wheel; tire bead.

A knowledge sufficient to direct one's activities to a purpose.

:

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.

:

Front sight of a gun.

Noun

(en noun)

Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.

A talent or natural ability.

:

*

*:“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”

Something gained incidentally, without effort.

The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing.

: