Job's tears

plural noun

1

: hard usually pearly white seeds of a tropical southeast Asian grass (Coix lacryma-jobi) often used as beads

2

singular in construction : the grass producing Job's tears

Illustration of Job's tears

• Job's tears 2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The ancient recipe for beer included broomcorn millet, barley, Job's tears (a type of grain-bearing plant native to south-east Asia), and tubers. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2016

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1