Baily's beads

[ bey-leez ]

/ ˈbeɪ liz /

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plural noun

spots of light that appear to encircle the moon, resembling a string of luminous beads, visible immediately before and after a total eclipse, caused by the sun's light shining between the mountains on the moon's surface.

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Origin of Baily's beads

Named after Francis Baily (1774–1844), English astronomer who first described them

Words nearby Baily's beads

bailor, bailout, bailsman, bail up, Baily, Baily's beads, Bainbridge, báinín, bainite, bain-marie, Bainqen Lama

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Baily's beads in a sentence

“A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new,” Harry S. Connelly Jr. says in the video, according to the Times.
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?|Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Personal hotspots can get speeds of up to 60 Mb/s down, whereas hotel Wi-Fi can be as slow as 1.5 Mb/s,” Sesar said.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In our headlong quest for a legally perfect society, we don’t take the time to take stock of what‘s been created so far.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The thing [North Korean government] want[s] the most is the non-release of this film,” Schiff said.
Obama Could Hit China to Punish North Korea|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A third cabinet member used public funds to pay in an S & M bar.
Japan’s Nasty Nazi-ish Elections|Jake Adelstein|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ajoutez cecy, s'il vous plaist, la grande difficult qu'il y a de tirer d'eux les mots mesmes qu'ils ont.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Neantmoins le vieil Membertou, pere du malade, conceut asss l'affaire, et me promit qu'on s'arresteroit tout ce que j'en dirois.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
En effet un soir, sa femme et enfans l'abandonnerent entierement, et s'en allerent cabaner ailleurs, pensant que c'en estoit vuid.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Mrs. S. said she was familiar with it from having heard Thomas's orchestra play it in New York.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
C'est asss demeur la maison; sortons un peu dehors, comme nous avons promis de faire, et racontons ce qui s'est pass par le pays.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Baily's beads

Baily's beads

/ (ˈbeɪlɪz) /

pl n

the brilliant points of sunlight that appear briefly around the moon, just before and after a total eclipse

Word Origin for Baily's beads

C19: named after Francis Baily (died 1844), English astronomer who described them

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Baily's beads

Baily's beads

[ bā′lēz ]

A discontinuous, beadlike pattern of sunlight visible along the edge of the darkened Moon's disk in the seconds before and after totality during a full solar eclipse. The pattern is caused by light shining through the uneven lunar topography silhouetted along the curved edges of the disk. Baily's beads are named after British astronomer Francis Baily (1774-1844), who first observed them in 1836.