bead


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bead up

To form beads or drops. Sweat started to bead up on my forehead as we moved the couch down the steps.
See also: bead, up

draw a bead on (someone or something)

1. To aim at someone or something with the sights on a firearm. I managed to draw a bead on the enemy sniper, but had to wait until I received the order to fire.
2. By extension, to focus one's attention on someone or something so as to deal with or attack him, her, or it. The candidate drew a bead on his opponent's poor political record in the UN during the debate. The president has pledged to draw a bead on the growing problem of adolescent obesity.
3. To thoroughly understand, appreciate, or comprehend someone or something. The team just has to draw a bead on the severity of the cyber attack before we can implement any meaningful fixes. I couldn't get my head around him at first, but I'm finally starting to draw a bead on my sister's boyfriend.
See also: bead, draw, on

get a bead on (someone or something)

1. To aim at someone or something with the sights on a firearm. I managed to get a bead on the enemy sniper but had to wait until I received the order to fire.
2. By extension, to focus one's attention on someone or something so as to deal with or attack him, her, or it. The candidate got a bead on his opponent's poor political record during the debate. The president has pledged to get a bead on the growing problem of adolescent obesity.
3. To thoroughly understand, appreciate, or comprehend someone or something. The team just has to get a bead on the severity of the cyber attack before we can implement any meaningful fixes. I couldn't understand him at first, but I'm finally starting to get a bead on my sister's boyfriend.
See also: bead, get, on

take a bead on (someone or something)

1. To aim at someone or something with the sights on a firearm. I managed to take a bead on the enemy sniper but had to wait until I received the order to fire.
2. By extension, to focus one's attention on someone or something so as to deal with or attack him, her, or it. The candidate took a bead on his opponent's poor political record during the debate. The president has pledged to take a bead on the growing problem of adolescent obesity.
3. To thoroughly understand, appreciate, or comprehend someone or something. The team just has to take a bead on the severity of the cyber attack before we can implement any meaningful fixes. I couldn't understand him at first, but I'm finally starting to take a bead on my sister's boyfriend.
See also: bead, on, take
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

draw a bead on someone or something

 and get a bead on someone or something 
1. . Lit. to locate someone or something in the sights of a gun. Fred drew a bead on the target and pulled the trigger. The hunter drew a bead on the deer.
2. Fig. to prepare to deal with or obtain someone or something. As soon as I get a bead on how widespread the problem really is, I will set up a meeting about it.
See also: bead, draw, on
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

draw a bead on

Take careful aim, as in The debater drew a bead on his opponent. This term, dating from about 1830, alludes to the bead on a revolver or rifle, that is, a small knob in the foresight. [c. 1930]
See also: bead, draw, on
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

draw a bead on someone/something

or

take a bead on someone/something

mainly AMERICAN
If you draw a bead on a target, you aim your weapon at it. He had entered my office with a loaded gun and had drawn a bead on my heart. The small pale eyes squeezed shut as if he were taking a bead on her. Note: The bead is the small marker on top of the end of the barrel on some guns, which is used to aim at the target.
See also: bead, draw, on, someone, something
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

draw (or get) a bead on

take aim at with a gun. chiefly North American
1994 Ontario Out of Doors Few moose will pose majestically right at the water's edge while you draw a bead on them.
See also: bead, draw, on
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

bead up

v.
To form into the shape of a bead; come together in droplets: Because I just waxed my car, the rain beaded up its surface as it fell. Sweat started to bead up on my forehead.
See also: bead, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

draw a bead on (someone), to

To take careful verbal aim at a person. An Americanism dating from about 1830, the term comes from aiming a revolver or rifle, on which the “bead” was a small knob on the foresight. It was being used figuratively by about 1930.
See also: bead, draw, on
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
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References in periodicals archive ?
In addition, the DC Bead is the only drug-eluting bead with CE Mark approval for loading with doxorubicin or irinotecan, providing an effective standardised liver-directed therapy for primary and metastatic liver cancer.
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This article provides information for pharmaceutical researchers and flow core staff scientists on a new method of quantitative instrument standardization and set-up using stable, custom-manufactured fluorescent control beads. The use of such beads allows for greater consistency of intra- and inter-platform standardized setup, and provides a satisfactory basis for quantitative instrument standardization.
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For each bead type and matrix-fluid refractive index, the particle size distribution was inspected, and upper and lower diameter limits were adjusted to exclude any extraneous particles that were clearly not beads.
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The bead culture of Sarawak, part of a greater Malaysian heritage, is rooted in centuries of tradition.
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Recently, the use of bead mill homogenizing has become more prevalent as researchers are homogenizing greater numbers of sealed samples, and are increasingly concerned with consistent results and minimum sample carry-over.
Bead mill benefits outweigh ultrasonic homogenizers: While both homogenization technologies are effective for a variety of sample types and specific applications, bead mill technology is increasingly becoming the sample processing solution of choice
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