beadhouse

or bede·house

[ beed-hous ]

noun,plural bead·hous·es [beed-hou-ziz]. /ˈbidˌhaʊ zɪz/.
  1. (formerly) an almshouse in which the residents were required to pray for the founder.

Origin of beadhouse

1
Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; see origin at bead, house

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024