job's-tears
C2Technical/Botanical, Culinary, Ornamental Crafts
Definition
Meaning
A tall tropical grass (Coix lacryma-jobi) whose hard, grey, tear-shaped seeds are used for ornamental beads and, in some varieties, as a cereal grain.
Refers to the plant itself or its distinctive pearly-white to grey seeds, which resemble drops of water or tears. Also refers to the edible grain from the cultivated variety, sometimes used in soups and teas in East Asian cuisines and known for purported medicinal properties.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a botanical and horticultural term. Its culinary use is niche, associated primarily with East Asian (e.g., Korean, Chinese) and Southeast Asian contexts. The name is often capitalized ('Job's tears') and is etymologically fixed, deriving from the biblical figure Job.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The spelling with the apostrophe ('Job's-tears' or 'Job's tears') is standard in both varieties.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries connotations of exoticism, botanical interest, or traditional medicine/cuisine.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and specialized in both dialects. More likely encountered in botanical gardens, specialist food stores, or craft contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [noun] is made from job's-tears.They cultivated job's-tears for its [purpose].Job's-tears are used in traditional [cuisine/medicine].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly associated; the term itself is a metaphorical name.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Potentially in niche import/export of botanical products, seeds, or craft supplies.
Academic
Used in botany, horticulture, ethnobotany, and agricultural science papers.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be mentioned in gardening communities or by those interested in Asian cuisine/herbalism.
Technical
Standard term in botanical taxonomy and descriptions. Also in traditional medicine texts.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The necklace was made from polished job's-tears.
- In Korea, a tea is sometimes made from job's-tears grain.
- Botanists classify job's-tears as a hardy perennial grass closely related to maize.
- The purported diuretic properties of job's-tears have been documented in traditional pharmacopoeias.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the biblical figure **Job** crying **tears** that fell to the ground and grew into hard, pearly seeds.
Conceptual Metaphor
TEARS ARE HARD SEEDS (based on visual resemblance and the name's origin).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите как "слёзы работы". Это устойчивое название растения.
- Может быть переведено как "зёрна/семена коикса", "слёзы Иова" (книжн.).
- В кулинарном контексте может обозначаться как "ячмень" (образно), но это другой злак.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'Jobs tears' (without apostrophe).
- Confusing it with barley or pearl barley, which are different plants.
- Using it as a general term for beads rather than specifically for beads from this plant.
Practice
Quiz
In which context are you LEAST likely to encounter the term 'job's-tears'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but only the cultivated variety (Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen). The hard, wild-type seeds are used ornamentally.
The name derives from the hard, greyish-white seeds which resemble teardrops, combined with a reference to the biblical figure Job, known for his suffering and tears.
It is a tropical to subtropical plant and requires a long, warm growing season. It may be grown in the UK in a greenhouse or as a summer annual in a very sheltered, sunny spot.
They are from completely different plant species. Pearl barley is processed barley. Job's-tears is from the Coix plant. They can be used similarly in some soups but have different botanical origins.