beard

8 definitions • 12 examples

hair that grows on the chin and lower part of a person's face:

a flowing white beard

grow a beard He's growing a beard.

He shaved off his beard but kept his moustache.

the long hair that grows under a goat's mouth

the thread-like parts that attach mussels and other bivalves (= small sea creatures that live inside two connected shells) to rocks:

To clean the mussels, wash them in plenty of cold water and pull away the beards from between the tightly closed shells.

Wash the mussels carefully, removing their beards.

You need 750g fresh small clams, cleaned and with beards removed.

a person who appears to be in a relationship with someone and is used to create a false idea about them, for example to hide the fact that they are gay or are in another relationship:

I thought I saw him with a girl — maybe she's a beard.

In the film, the talent agent is a beard, pretending to date a single woman who is actually having an affair with married singer.

something that is used to create a false idea about a person or thing, making them appear to be something they are not:

I suspect the religious part of his life is just a beard for all the other parts.

to face, meet, or deal with an unpleasant or frightening person in a brave or determined way:

With a nervous swallow he bearded the formidable-looking librarian behind the desk.

to remove the thread-like parts from a mussel or other bivalve (= a small sea creature that lives inside two connected shells) in order to prepare it for cooking:

She bearded mussels and washed prawns for a paella.

You need 300g mussels, scraped and bearded.

hair that grows on the lower part of a man’s face, sometimes including the hair that grows above the lips