beadsman
Americannoun
plural
beadsmen-
a person who prays for another as a duty, especially when paid.
-
an inmate of a poorhouse; almsman.
noun
-
a person who prays for another's soul, esp one paid or fed for doing so
-
a person kept in an almshouse
Etymology
Origin of beadsman
1200–50; bead's man man of prayer; replacing Middle English bedeman. See bead, 's 1, man
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Goddess! vouchsafe this aged man his right To be your beadsman now, that was your knight.
From Strange Pages from Family Papers by Dyer, T. F. Thiselton (Thomas Firminger Thiselton)
"I ken that baith you and I are owre lang here," replied the beadsman, as he hurried out.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 7 by Various
Goddess, vouchsafe this aged man his right, To be your beadsman now, that was your knight.
From Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth by Aikin, Lucy
It was resolved that Henry should be regulated by the warnings of the beadsman, whose sources of information would enable him to save the son of his old friend from ruin, if not death.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 7 by Various
My een lack now their former licht," replied the beadsman, "but if ye, wha are younger, look weel to the east, ye'll see something yonder thicker, I ween, than a munebeam.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 7 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
