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aeon
In Gnosticism or Manichaeism, one of the orders of spirits, or spheres of being, emanating from the godhead. The first aeon emanated directly from unmanifested divinity and was charged with divine force. Aeons increased in number and decreased in divine energy with increased remoteness from the divinity. At sufficient remoteness, error became possible and was the source of the material universe. Aeons may be viewed positively, as embodiments of the divine, or negatively, as media through which the soul must pass to reach its divine origin.


bead
Small round object made of wood, shell, bone, seed, nut, metal, stone, glass, or plastic. It is usually pierced for stringing so that it can be worn for decorative or, in some cultures, magical purposes. The earliest Egyptian beads (from c.4000 BC) were made of stone, feldspar, lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise, hematite, or amethyst and were variously shaped (sphere, cone, shell, animal head). By 3000-2000 BC, gold beads in tubular shapes were in use. From the Middle Ages to the 18th cent., trade in beads was enormous. Today the richness of beadwork varies with fashion.


beak
Stiff, projecting oral structure of birds and turtles (both of which lack teeth) and certain other animals (e.g., cephalopods and some insects, fishes, and mammals). The term bill is preferred for the beak of a bird, composed of upper and lower jaws covered by a horny sheath of skin, with the nostrils on top, usually at the base. The shapes and sizes of bills are adapted for obtaining food, preening, building nests, and other functions; they range from the long, slim bill of nectar-sipping hummingbirds to the sturdy, curved, nut-cracking bill of parrots.


beam
In building construction, a horizontal member spanning an opening and carrying a load. The load may be a wall above the opening (see post-and-beam system) or it may be a floor or roof. Beams may be of wood, steel or other metals, reinforced or prestressed concrete, plastic, or even brick with steel reinforcement. For weight reduction, metal beams are I-shaped, having a thin vertical web and thicker horizontal flanges where greater stress occurs. A joist is any of a series of small parallel beams supporting a floor or roof. See also girder, spandrel.


bean
Seed or pod of certain leguminous plants (see legume). The mature seeds of the principal food beans, except soybeans, are similar in composition, though they differ widely in eating quality. Rich in protein and providing moderate amounts of iron and vitamins B1 and B2, fresh or dried beans are used worldwide for cooking. Varieties differ greatly in size, shape, color, and tenderness of the immature pods. The common string, snap, or green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) of Central and S. Amer. origin is the dominant edible-podded bean in the U.S., second to the soybean in importance. Third in importance is the broad, or fava, bean (Vicia ...

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