draw a bead on

verb

To aim a gun at.

Similar
take a bead onaspireaimshoot for
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Meanings

verbdraw a bead on (third-person singular simple present draws a bead on, present participle drawing a bead on, simple past drew a bead on, past participle drawn a bead on)

present singular third person draws a bead on · participle present drawing a bead on · past drew a bead on · participle past drawn a bead on

  1. USslangtransitiveTo aim a gun at.

    (As George gets fairly into the following, Gretchen draws a bead on him, and lets drive at the close, but the gun snaps.)

    1892, Mark Twain, Meisterschaft: In Three Acts, act II, scene I, page 188

    Synonyms: take a bead on

  2. USslangtransitiveTo take aim at.
  3. USslangtransitiveto cast one's eyes on.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo aim a gun at.

Similar
take a bead on

More synonyms by meaning

verbhave an ambitious plan or a lofty goal

Similar
aspireaimshoot for
Broader
planbe after
Also see
aimaspiretake a bead on

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

draw a bead on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20a%20bead%20on

MLA

“draw a bead on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20a%20bead%20on. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “draw a bead on,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20a%20bead%20on.

Source: draw a bead on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.