beard
Pluralbeards
Pluralbeards
Formsbeards, bearding, bearded
- 1The hair that grows on a person's chin, cheeks, jaw and neck.
My uncle has a long gray beard.
He shaved off his beard before the job interview.
UsageSay grow a beard and shave off a beard.
Similarwhiskers
Note
- 2Someone who pretends to be a person's date or partner to hide that the person is gay or seeing someone else.
Everyone thought she was his girlfriend, but she was really his beard.
He asked a friend to be his beard at the family wedding.
UsageUsually his beard or her beard. Get a beard means find someone to pretend.
Note
- 3To act as a straight-looking partner for a gay person of the opposite sex, while being gay yourself.
His lesbian friend agreed to beard for him at the office party.
She agreed to beard for her roommate until he was ready to come out.
UsageSay beard for a friend.
Note
- 4A group of feathers on a bird's face or chest that looks like a beard.
The bird puffed out the little beard under its beak.
Some birds have a beard of soft feathers around the bottom of the beak.
- 5Long or stiff hairs on a plant, like the bristles on an ear of grain.
The beard on the barley scratched my arms as I walked through the field.
Some kinds of wheat have a long beard and some have none at all.
Similarawn
Note
Less common meanings
- 6To bravely stand up to someone or face them directly, even if it upsets them.
The young reporter bearded the mayor at his own press conference.
Nobody else dared to beard the coach about the unfair rule.
UsageOften beard the lion in his den: boldly face someone in their own place.
Similarconfront, challenge, defy, face
Note
- 7The tough hairy threads that a mussel or similar shellfish uses to hold on to rocks.
Pull the beard off each mussel before you put it in the pot.
The mussel's beard holds it tightly to the rock even in rough waves.
UsageRecipes say pull off the beard or debeard the mussels.
- 8Someone who acts as a fake customer or go-between so that another person can stay hidden.
The gambler sent a beard to place his bets so the bookies would not recognize him.
She acted as a beard and bought the painting for a buyer who wanted to stay secret.
Similarfront, proxy, stand-in, go-between
Note
- 9To start to grow hair on the chin and jaw.
- 10The part of a metal printing letter between the top of the block and the raised face.
Note
- 11Parts that stick out from the jaw of some whales, or from the mouth of some fish.
- 12Of bees, to gather together in a hanging clump that looks like a beard.
- 13The parts of an oyster or similar shellfish that it uses to breathe.
- 14To cut the gills out of an oyster or other shellfish.
- 15The small hairs on the feelers near the mouth of a moth or butterfly.
- 16To grab or pull a man's beard to show anger or disrespect.
- 17A sharp point on an arrow tip that sticks backward so the arrow will not pull out easily.
- 18The curved bottom part of an ax head, between the blade and the handle.
- 19The place under a horse's jaw, just above the chin, where the curb of a bridle rests.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
It comes from Old English beard. German Bart and Latin barba are related words.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- English beard comes from Old English beard. en.wiktionary.org
- German Bart is related to English beard. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin barba is related to English beard. en.wiktionary.org