bead

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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
See also:
  • bead up
  • draw a bead on (someone), to
  • get a bead on (someone or something)
  • take a bead on (someone or something)
  • draw a bead on someone/something
  • draw a bead on
  • draw a bead on (someone or something)
  • drawn
  • drape (someone or something) in (something)
  • drape in
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.
As more brands present their own take on the bead bag, only the changing fashion seasons can tell if it will be as ubiquitous as the wicker bag is now.
Wilson describes several other methods for rigging his beads, each creating the eyed-egg effect with the smaller hard bead.
Hooking beads as you go, rather than pre-stringing them on the yarn, is another way of attaching beads to your work, A steel crochet hook is used, and the hook size must be small enough to pass through the hole in the bead.
To understand the beads of Africa it is crucial to appreciate the influence of geography on African societies.
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.
Baltic amber was used for a lion-shaped cup from that time previously discovered in Syria and for beads and scarabs found in Egyptian King Tutankhamen's tomb, Varberg says.
This communication presents a simple and efficient method for bead counting for next generation DNA sequencing as well as other applications.
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.
The matching pants and vest jumpsuit receives the same red bugle bead and siam crystal jewel and lochrosen patterning as the coat.
Chances are you've got a bead leak caused by a rusting wheel.
The bead culture of Sarawak, part of a greater Malaysian heritage, is rooted in centuries of tradition.
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.
THE Bead Supermarket arrives in Marshfield Village Hall on Saturday, April 30th .