to take a bead on
1
8.7
- phrasal verb
- Before making his move, he took a bead on the enemy's position from a distance.
Examples
-
The hunter carefully took a bead on the deer before pulling the trigger.
-
I bet you green money that first little black dot he took a bead on that was the bitch of the bunch.
-
As she prepared to shoot the arrow, she took a bead on the target in the center of the field.
Synonyms
∞
1.3
To look at something to check it or find information
192
1.3
To check something carefully, for example an essay or a machine
45
3.5
Point a weapon, camera, or object at a target to get ready to use it
40
8.4
Tell someone to look at something surprising or interesting
3
2.4
To look at someone or something carefully to understand it
1
8.2
Pay close attention to a person, goal, or problem
Antonyms
How Accurate
46
4.2
∞
2.0
1
8.7
605
2.4
∞
1.0
218
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although 'take' and 'on' are transparent, 'bead' here uses a specialized sense (the sighting bead on a firearm) that most B1 learners would not know, so the overall meaning 'to aim at/observe closely' cannot be reliably derived from the constituents. The expression depends on domain-specific knowledge and historical usage rather than regular compositional patterns, making it idiomatic and unpredictable.
Etymology
Take a bead on comes from shooting: a hunter or shooter would line up the small front bead on their gun with the target to aim carefully. So today to take a bead on someone or something often means 'to aim at' them or 'to watch them closely'.