bedspread

American

[bed-spred] / ˈbɛdˌsprɛd /

noun

an outer covering, usually decorative, for a bed.

bedspread British

/ ˈbɛdˌsprɛd /

noun

a top cover on a bed over other bedclothes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bedspread

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; bed + spread

Compare meaning

How does bedspread compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

coverlet vs. bedspread

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the ruins, Sabbagh picked out bits of his family's shattered life -- a scrap of his mother Afaf's bedspread, chunks of wooden furniture from their dining room, a red sofa cushion.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

In this case, I can’t see how ironing out a few wrinkles and covering a rumpled duvet with a digital bedspread materially misrepresents your home.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

I told her I wanted a white, fake-leather water bed with a black fake-fur bedspread.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

My mom had decorated my room all red — red curtains, red bedspread, red rug, red pillows — and I just knew it did not make me feel good.

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2023

Celia cocked her head, buoyant curls scraping her bedspread.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023