Job's-tears
[ johbz-teerz ]
/ ˈdʒoʊbzˈtɪərz /
noun
(used with a plural verb) the hard, nearly spherical bracts that surround the female flowers of an Asian grass, Coix lacryma-jobi, and which when ripe are used as beads.
(used with a singular verb) the grass itself.
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Origin of Job's-tears
First recorded in 1590–1600
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for Job's-tears
Job's-tears
noun
(functioning as singular) a tropical Asian grass, Coix lacryma-jobi, cultivated for its white beadlike modified leaves, which contain edible seeds
(functioning as plural) the beadlike structures of this plant, used as rosary or ornamental beads
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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