microbead

M3I1C3R1O1B3E1A1D2

noun

A microscopic bead of plastic used as an exfoliant in personal care products.

OriginEnglish bead ← Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-) ← Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounmicrobead (plural microbeads)

plural microbeads

  1. A microscopic bead of plastic used as an exfoliant in personal care products.

    At the microplastic scale, bans of microbeads in wash-off personal care products are now widespread globally.

    2021, Alice A. Horton, Isobelle Blissett, Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Freshwater Aquatic, Terrestrial and Avian Migratory Species in the Asia and Pacific Region, Convention on Migratory Species, page 30

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekμῑκρός (mīkrós)
  3. Ancient Greekμῑκρο- (mīkro-)
  4. Englishmicro-
  5. Englishbead
  6. Englishmicrobead

From micro- + bead.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French microbille
  • microbillemicroscopic bead
German Mikrokügelchen
  • Mikrokügelchenmicroscopic bead
Icelandic örperla
  • örperlamicroscopic bead
Japanese マイクロビーズ
  • マイクロビーズ (maikurobīzu)microscopic bead
Korean 마이크로비즈
  • 마이크로비즈 (maikeurobijeu)microscopic bead
Cite this entry
APA

microbead. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microbead

MLA

“microbead.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microbead. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “microbead,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microbead.

Source: microbead on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.