draw a bead on
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To aim a gun at.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
(As George gets fairly into the following, Gretchen draws a bead on him, and lets drive at the close, but the gun snaps.)
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
To take aim at.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
Meaning · English
to cast one's eyes on.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “draw a bead on” mean?
To aim a gun at.
Is “draw a bead on” formal or informal?
draw a bead on is generally slang.