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hospital bed

American  

noun

hospital beds plural
  1. a bed having side rails that can be raised or lowered and a mattress base in three jointed sections so that the head, foot, or middle may be raised by a crank or motor, allowing a patient to lie in various positions, as a therapeutic aid or for comfort.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of hospital bed

First recorded in 1815–25

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.

See Examples For:

He had spent two years in a standard hospital bed, provided by the NHS, which he described as "hideously uncomfortable" and like "torture".

From BBC Jun. 30, 2026

Standing beside her hospital bed, his mind drifts to Paris and to Penelope, the aspiring musician he married after falling hopelessly in love.

From Salon Jun. 30, 2026

The programme ended dramatically with Clarkson in a hospital bed, telling viewers: "If this is all successful, I'll see you for season six, and if it isn't, I won't."

From BBC Jun. 21, 2026

Once, when a daredevil subordinate had landed in the hospital because of a bicycle racing accident, Raymond called him at his hospital bed.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 10, 2026

Speaking from his hospital bed, Betancourt announced he has again filed charges with the Organization of American States.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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