bedding

American  

[bed-ing] / ˈbɛd ɪŋ /

noun

1. blankets, sheets, etc., used on a bed; bedclothes.

2. bedclothes together with a mattress.

3. litter; straw, etc., as a bed for animals.

4. Building Trades.

   1. a foundation or bottom layer.

   2. a thin layer of putty laid in the rabbet of a window frame or muntin to give a pane of glass an even backing.

5. Geology. arrangement of sedimentary rocks in strata.

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adjective

1. Horticulture. of or relating to a plant especially suited to or prepared for planting in an open-air bed for ornamental displays.

   bedding hyacinths; bedding begonias.

bedding British  

/ ˈbɛdɪŋ /

noun

1. bedclothes, sometimes considered together with a mattress

2. litter, such as straw, for animals

3. something acting as a foundation, such as mortar under a brick

4. the arrangement of a mass of rocks into distinct layers; stratification

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Etymology

Origin of bedding

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; bed, -ing ¹

Explanation

Use the word bedding when you're talking about sheets, pillowcases, blankets, or any other coverings for a bed. If you switch from a twin to a queen-sized bed, you'll need new bedding. When a college student moves into a dorm room she brings her own bedding, and when your grandmother gets her guest room ready for a visitor, she might wash all the bedding. Bedding also means the straw, hay, or other materials that a farm animal sleeps on — or the shredded paper you use to line your gerbil's cage. It comes from the Old English word beddinge, "bed covering," from bedd, "bed" or "resting place."

Example Sentences

Sheikh Nadeem sat on a plastic chair outside his bedding store in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, scrolling through his phone as he waited for customers he knew were not coming.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Veterinarians recommend you bring along the bedding your dog regularly uses at home, scout out public rest stops in advance, and request a dog-friendly hotel room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

On Friday, the staff had finished their iftar meal, ending their daily fast for Ramadan, and were bedding down for the night.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

A study found the problem was worse in urban areas, with pesticides reaching streams through misconnected sewers and discharges from waste-water treatment plants after pets and their bedding were washed.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

After a long night tossing on scratchy straw bedding, the group disembarked a few hundred miles away at Newark, New York.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• bed linen
• bedspread
• blanket
• comforter
• linen
• pillow
• pillowcase
• quilt
• sheet