NYT Dictionary

BEAD

/ˈbiːd/
NounVerbBEADbead · 1 syllableGrade 1

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

Prayer, later especially with a rosary.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English bede (“a prayer”), also “a bead for counting prayers” in a peire of bedes (literally “a pair of beads”), from Old English bedu, bed, ġebed (“a request, entreaty, prayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *bedu, *bed, *gabed, from Proto-Germanic *bedō, *bedą. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gebäd (“prayer”), Cimbrian gapéet (“prayer”), Dutch gebed and bede (“prayer”), German Gebet (“prayer”), Low German Gebett (“prayer”), Luxembourgish Gebiet (“prayer”), Vilamovian gybāt (“prayer”).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

prayer beadbeadingdroppearlbeadworkastragalballballoonankletarmlet

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 8 recorded puzzles:

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