Beading

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbiːdɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The technique of forming tiny spheres or droplets on various surfaces
2. The art of applying small rounded ornaments on materials ; the action of shaping an edge or surface into a smooth rounded form ; the hobby or skill of assembling small beads into patterns
3. A method of adding tiny spherical decorations to objects ; the technique of molding edges into curved outlines ; creating decorative patterns by threading small beads together

Etymology: The most surprising fact is that "bead" originally meant a prayer, not a small ornament. In Old English, "bedu" meant a request, entreaty or prayer, and the same root gave German "Gebet" and Dutch "gebed," both still meaning prayer today. Medieval Christians counted their prayers on strings of small round objects, and the phrase "a pair of beads" in Middle English referred to a set of these prayer-counting beads. Over time the sense narrowed from the act of praying to the object used to keep count, and then widened to any small rounded piece of glass, wood or stone. That shift from prayer to ornament is what lies behind the modern uses of "beading," whether it means decorating a surface with tiny rounded ornaments, shaping an edge into a smooth curve, or stringing beads into patterns.

Synonyms: stringing, decorating, ornamenting, adorning, embellishing