2 N‑COUNT A bead of liquid or moisture is a small drop of it. □ [+ of ] …beads of blood. □ [+ of ] He wiped away the beads of sweat on his forehead.

bead|ed /biː d I d/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A beaded dress, cushion, or other object is decorated with beads.

2 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] If something is beaded with a liquid, it is covered in small drops of that liquid. □  The man's bald head was beaded with sweat.

bead|ing /biː d I ŋ/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Beading is a narrow strip of wood that is used for decorating or edging furniture and doors.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Beading is an arrangement of beads used for decorating clothes. □  …a black velvet bodice with jet black beading.

beady /biː di/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Beady eyes are small, round, and bright.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] If someone keeps a beady eye on a person or organization, they watch them carefully and suspiciously. □  The chairman keeps a beady eye on things.

bea|gle /biː g ə l/ (beagles ) N‑COUNT A beagle is a short-haired black and brown dog with long ears and short legs. It is kept as a pet or sometimes used for hunting.

beak /biː k/ (beaks ) N‑COUNT A bird's beak is the hard curved or pointed part of its mouth. □  …a black bird with a yellow beak.

beak|er /biː kə r / (beakers )

1 N‑COUNT A beaker is a plastic cup used for drinking, usually one with no handle. [BRIT ]

2 N‑COUNT A beaker is a large cup or glass. [AM ]

3 N‑COUNT A beaker is a glass or plastic jar which is used in chemistry.

be -all and e nd-all PHRASE If something is the be-all and end-all to you, it is the only important thing in your life, or the only important feature of a particular activity. □  For some people, competing is the be-all and end-all of their running.

beam /biː m/ (beams , beaming , beamed )

1 VERB If you say that someone is beaming , you mean that they have a big smile on their face because they are happy, pleased, or proud about something. [WRITTEN ] □ [V + at/with ] Frances beamed at her friend with undisguised admiration. □ [V with quote] 'Welcome back,' she beamed. □ [V -ing] …the beaming face of a 41-year-old man on the brink of achieving his dreams.

2 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A beam is a line of energy, radiation, or particles sent in a particular direction. □  …high-energy laser beams. □ [+ of ] …a beam of neutrons.

3 VERB If something beams radio signals or television pictures or they are beamed somewhere, they are sent there by means of electronic equipment. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] The interview was beamed live across the state. □ [V prep/adv] The live satellite broadcast was beamed into homes across America. □ [V n prep/adv] …a ship which is due to begin beaming radio broadcasts to South East Asia.

4 N‑COUNT [n N ] A beam of light is a line of light that shines from an object such as a lamp.

5 VERB If something such as the sun or a lamp beams down, it sends light to a place and shines on it. □ [V adv/prep] A sharp white spot-light beamed down on a small stage. □ [V adv/prep] All you see of the outside world is the sunlight beaming through the cracks in the roof.

6 N‑COUNT A beam is a long thick bar of wood, metal, or concrete, especially one used to support the roof of a building. □  The ceilings are supported by oak beams.

7 → see also off-beam

bean ◆◇◇ /biː n/ (beans )

1 N‑COUNT [usu pl, usu adj N ] Beans such as green beans , French beans , or broad beans are the seeds of a climbing plant or the long thin cases which contain those seeds.

2 N‑COUNT [usu pl, usu n N ] Beans such as soya beans and kidney beans are the dried seeds of a bean plant.

3 N‑COUNT [usu pl, usu n N ] Beans such as coffee beans or cocoa beans are the seeds of plants that are used to produce coffee, cocoa, and chocolate.

4 PHRASE If someone is full of beans , they are very lively and have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. □  Jem was full of beans after a long sleep.

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