a prayer.-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.-any small globular body-a bubble in spirits.-a drop of sweat or other liquid.-a small knob of metal on a firearm, used for taking aim (whence the expression to draw a bead, for, to take aim).-a small molding of rounded surface, the section being usually an arc of a circle.  it may be continuous, or broken into short embossments.-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.-to ornament with beads or beading.-to form beadlike bubbles.