noun

• (archaic) Prayer, later especially with a rosary.
  "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."
• A small, round object.
  "We now have a bead on the main technical issues for the project"
• A ridge, band, or molding.
• (physical chemistry, dated) 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.
  "the borax bead;  the iron bead, etc."

verb

• (woodworking)
  "The raindrops beaded on the car's waxed finish."
• (transitive) To apply beads to.
  "She spent the morning beading the gown."
• (transitive) To form into a bead.
  "He beaded some solder for the ends of the wire."
• (transitive) To cause beads to form on (something).
  "Only the hum of the miserable creatures stirred the heavy murk that beaded our foreheads with sweat as we pushed our way through it."