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.
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
At night it flips over to reveal a true foam-mattress backside and create a 42-by-72-inch bed.
Can’t Afford a Sprinter? Get a Tiny Van Instead.|Emily Pennington|September 16, 2020|Outside Online
So sign up for a community garden space, turn over a backyard bed, or mount some planting boxes on your windows and get going.
A 15-Week Exercise Plan for Kids and Families|Krista Langlois|September 12, 2020|Outside Online
At his bed and breakfast in southern Sweden, Carlsson used to rotate porridge duties with two friends, and guests always complimented their meals on days when he cooked.
In Pursuit of the Perfect Bowl of Porridge|Clarissa Wei|September 11, 2020|Eater
A wall separated the office space from his bed around the corner.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time|by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News|September 10, 2020|ProPublica
For a-la-carte under bed storage, or bags that can move between beds, closets, and beyond, Dokehom has you covered.
The best under-bed storage solutions|PopSci Commerce Team|September 9, 2020|Popular Science
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
She shivered delicately, and announced her intention of going to bed.
The Woman from Outside|Hulbert Footner
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
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
meda unit of potential occupancy in a hospital or residential institution
informala place for sexual intercourse
informalsexual 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 rosesa situation of comfort or ease
to be brought to bedarchaicto 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 sideinformalto be ill-tempered from the start of the day
go to bed
(often foll by with)to have sexual intercourse (with)
journalismprinting(of a newspaper, magazine, etc) to go to press; start printing
in bed withinformalcooperating closely with (another person, organization, government, etc.) esp covertly
put to bed
journalismto finalize work on (a newspaper, magazine, etc) so that it is ready to go to press
printingto lock up the type forme of (a publication) in the press before printing
take to one's bedto remain in bed, esp because of illness
verbbeds, beddingorbedded
(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
geologyto form or be arranged in a distinct layer; stratify
(tr often foll by out) to plant in a bed of soil
See also bed in
Word Origin for bed
Old English bedd; related to Old Norse bethr, Old High German betti, Gothic badi
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.