bead

/ˈbid/BEED
/ˈbid/BEED

Meaningprayer

Common meaning: a small pierced ball strung with others

Journey through time

  1. Old Englishgebed‘prayer’source
  2. Middle Englishbede‘prayer; prayer-bead’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsprayer; prayer-bead → a small pierced ball strung with othersbead‘a small pierced ball strung with others’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old English gebed ‘a prayer’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry BEAD, p. 55 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • gebed Old English “a prayer”

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