Dictionary
beads•wom•an
Pronunciation: (bēdz'woom"un), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -wom•en.
Archaic.
1. a woman who prays for another person as a duty, esp. when paid.
2. an almswoman.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.