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bed

[ bed ]

/ bɛd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bed ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a piece of furniture upon which or within which a person sleeps, rests, or stays when not well.

the mattress and bedclothes together with the bedstead of a bed.

the bedstead alone.

the act of or time for sleeping: Now for a cup of cocoa and then bed.

the use of a bed for the night; lodging: I reserved a bed at the old inn.

the marital relationship.

any resting place: making his bed under a tree.

something resembling a bed in form or position.

a piece or area of ground in a garden or lawn in which plants are grown.

an area in a greenhouse in which plants are grown.

the plants in such areas.

the bottom of a lake, river, sea, or other body of water.

a piece or part forming a foundation or base.

a layer of rock; a stratum.

a foundation surface of earth or rock supporting a track, pavement, or the like: a gravel bed for the roadway.

Building Trades.

the underside of a stone, brick, slate, tile, etc., laid in position.
the upper side of a stone laid in position.
the layer of mortar in which a brick, stone, etc., is laid.
the natural stratification of a stone: a stone laid on bed.

Furniture. skirt(def 6b).

the flat surface in a printing press on which the form of type is laid.

Transportation. the body or, sometimes, the floor or bottom of a truck or trailer.

Chemistry. a compact mass of a substance functioning in a reaction as a catalyst or reactant.

Sports.

the canvas surface of a trampoline.
the smooth, wooden floor of a bowling alley.
the slate surface of a billiard table to which the cloth is fastened.

Zoology. flesh enveloping the base of a claw, especially the germinative layer beneath the claw.

Also called mock, mock mold. Shipbuilding. a shaped steel pattern upon which furnaced plates for the hull of a vessel are hammered to shape.

bed and board.

verb (used with object), bed·ded, bed·ding.

to provide with a bed.

to put to bed.

Horticulture. to plant in or as in a bed.

to lay flat.

to place in a bed or layer: to bed oysters.

to embed, as in a substance: bedding the flagstones in concrete.

to take or accompany to bed for purposes of sexual intercourse.

verb (used without object), bed·ded, bed·ding.

to have sleeping accommodations: He says we can bed there for the night.

Geology. to form a compact layer or stratum.

(of a metal structural part) to lie flat or close against another part.

Archaic. to go to bed.

Verb Phrases

bed down,

to make a bed for (a person, animal, etc.).
to retire to bed: They put out the fire and decided to bed down for the night.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?

Question 1 of 10

earnest

full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.

a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.

urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for bed

get up on the wrong side of the bed, to be irritable or bad-tempered from the start of a day: Never try to reason with him when he's gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.

go to bed,

to retire, especially for the night.
to engage in sexual relations.

go to bed with, to have sexual intercourse with.

in bed,

beneath the covers of a bed.
engaged in sexual intercourse.

jump/get into bed with, to form a close, often temporary, alliance, usually with an unlikely ally: Industry was charged with jumping into bed with labor on the issue.

make a bed, to fit a bed with sheets and blankets.

make one's bed, to be responsible for one's own actions and their results: You've made your bed—now lie in it.

put to bed,

to help (a child, invalid, etc.) go to bed.
Printing. to lock up (forms) in a press in preparation for printing.
to work on the preparation of (an edition of a newspaper, periodical, etc.) up to the time of going to press.

Origin of bed

before 1000; Middle English; Old English bedd; cognate with Old Frisian, Dutch bed, Old Saxon bed(de), Old High German betti (German Bett), Gothic badi < Germanic *badjan (neuter); akin to Latin fodere to dig, OCS bodǫ, Lithuanian bedù I pierce, Welsh bedd a grave; presumably a bed was dug out in the ground

SYNONYMS FOR bed

14 band, belt, seam, lode.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bed ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM bed

bed·less, adjectivebed·like, adjectivein·ter·bed, adjective

Words nearby bed

becquerel , becquerel effect, becquerel rays, becripple, bectu, bed, bed and board, bed and breakfast, bed and pep, bed bath, bed board

Definition for bed (2 of 2)

B.Ed.

Bachelor of Education.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for bed

My doctor insisted that once I filed this piece I lie down on my bed and not get out.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I fall back into a dream and then suddenly there is a tapping on the window just above my bed.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
While violent offenses are dramatically down in Bed Stuy, pockets of violence persist here.
Anger at The Cop Killer - And The Police|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That was honestly the scariest thing about putting it to bed.
The Zany Shades of Nick Kroll|Abby Haglage|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

That was honestly the scariest thing about putting the show to bed.
The Zany Shades of Nick Kroll|Abby Haglage|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When shall we know whether they are dead or alive, whether strong and healthy or moaning upon a bed in hospital?
Six Women and the Invasion|Gabrielle Yerta
She shivered delicately, and announced her intention of going to bed.
The Woman from Outside|Hulbert Footner
Mrs. Stoddart sat down by the bed, and presently Annette, as if conscious of her presence, opened her eyes.
Notwithstanding|Mary Cholmondeley
Then without further hesitation I leaped out of bed and indignantly rushed to the window, but only on opening it to find him gone.
Brownsmith's Boy|George Manville Fenn
An officer of Uhlans took me in and shared his bed on the floor of a cabin.
Twenty Years in Europe|Samuel H. M. Byers

British Dictionary definitions for bed (1 of 2)

bed

/ (bɛd) /

noun

a piece of furniture on which to sleep

the mattress and bedclothes on such a piece of furniturean unmade bed

sleep or resttime for bed

any place in which a person or animal sleeps or rests

med a unit of potential occupancy in a hospital or residential institution

informal a place for sexual intercourse

informal sexual intercourse

a plot of ground in which plants are grown, esp when considered together with the plants in ita flower bed

the bottom of a river, lake, or sea

a part of this used for cultivation of a plant or animaloyster beds

a layer of crushed rock, gravel, etc, used as a foundation for a road, railway, etc

a layer of mortar in a masonry wall

the underside of a brick, tile, slate, etc, when in positionCompare back 1 (def. 12)

any underlying structure or part

a layer of rock, esp sedimentary rock

the flat part of a letterpress printing press onto or against which the type forme is placed

a layer of solid particles of an absorbent, catalyst, or reagent through which a fluid is passed during the course of a chemical reaction or other process

a machine base on which a moving part carrying a tool or workpiece slideslathe bed

a bed of roses a situation of comfort or ease

to be brought to bed archaic to give birth (to)

bed of nails

a situation or position of extreme difficulty
a bed studded with nails on which a fakir lies

get out of bed on the wrong side informal to be ill-tempered from the start of the day

go to bed

(often foll by with) to have sexual intercourse (with)
journalism printing (of a newspaper, magazine, etc) to go to press; start printing

in bed with informal cooperating closely with (another person, organization, government, etc.) esp covertly

put to bed

journalism to finalize work on (a newspaper, magazine, etc) so that it is ready to go to press
printing to lock up the type forme of (a publication) in the press before printing

take to one's bed to remain in bed, esp because of illness

verb beds, bedding or bedded

(usually foll by down) to go to or put into a place to sleep or rest

(tr) to have sexual intercourse with

(tr) to place, fix, or sink firmly into position; embed

geology to form or be arranged in a distinct layer; stratify

(tr often foll by out) to plant in a bed of soil

Word Origin for bed

Old English bedd; related to Old Norse bethr, Old High German betti, Gothic badi

British Dictionary definitions for bed (2 of 2)

BEd

abbreviation for

Bachelor of Education

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

Medical definitions for bed

bed

[ bĕd ]

n.

A piece of furniture for reclining and sleeping, typically consisting of a flat, rectangular frame and a mattress resting on springs.

Such a piece of furniture used for rest, recuperation, or treatment.

A supporting, underlying, or securing base or structure, especially an anatomical one.

Scientific definitions for bed

bed

[ bĕd ]

A layer of sediments or rock, such as coal, that extends under a large area and has a distinct set of characteristics that distinguish it from other layers below and above it.

The bottom of a body of water, such as a lake, stream, or ocean.

Idioms and Phrases with bed

bed

In addition to the idioms beginning with bed

bed and board
bed and breakfast
bed of roses

also see:

early to bed
get up on the wrong side of bed
go to bed with
make one's bed and lie in it
make the bed
put to bed
should have stood in bed
strange bedfellows

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bed

noun

verb (used with object), bed·ded, bed·ding.