bed

¹bed

noun \ˈbed\

Definition of BED

1

a : a piece of furniture on or in which to lie and sleep

b (1) : a place of sex relations (2) : marital relationship (3) : close association : cahoots <a legislator in bed with lobbyists>

c : a place for sleeping

d : sleep; also : a time for sleeping <took a walk before bed>

e (1) : a mattress filled with soft material (2) : bedstead

f : the equipment and services needed to care for one hospitalized patient or hotel guest

2

: a flat or level surface: as

a : a plot of ground prepared for plants; also : the plants grown in such a plot

b : the bottom of a body of water; especially : an area of sea bottom supporting a heavy growth of a particular organism <an oyster bed>

3

: a supporting surface or structure : foundation

4

: layer, stratum

5

a : the place or material in which a block or brick is laid

b : the lower surface of a brick, slate, or tile

6

: a mass or heap resembling a bed <a bed of ashes> <served on a bed of lettuce>

— in bed

: in the act of sexual intercourse

Examples of BED

1. The room contains only a bed and a dresser.
2. There are two beds in the hotel room.
3. He lay in bed all morning.
4. The blanket by the fireplace is the dog's bed.
5. Her bed was a mound of soft pine needles.
6. I'm planning on putting a bed of perennials in that corner of the yard.

Origin of BED

Middle English, from Old English bedd; akin to Old High German betti bed, Latin fodere to dig

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to BED

Synonyms

bunk, doss [chiefly British], hay [slang], kip, lair [British dialect], pad, rack, sack

Antonyms

consciousness, wake, wakefulness

Related Words

bedstead, futon, mattress, pallet; bunk bed, cot, couch, daybed, feather bed, four-poster, hammock, Murphy bed, shakedown, sleigh bed, sofa, sofa bed, studio couch, trundle bed, water bed; bassinet, carry-cot [British], cradle, crib

Near Antonyms

surface

Other Furniture and Woodworking Terms

appoint, credenza, mission, settee

Rhymes with BED

bread, dead, dread, ed, fed, head, lead, med, ped, read, red, Red, redd, said, shed, shred, sled, spread, stead, ted, thread, tread, wed, zed

²bed

verb

bed·ded bed·ding

Definition of BED

intransitive verb

1

a : to find or make sleeping accommodations —usually used with down <a place to bed down>

b : to go to bed —usually used with down <bed down at midnight>

2

: to form a layer

3

: to lie flat or flush

transitive verb

1

a : to furnish with a bed or bedding : settle in sleeping quarters —often used with down

b : to put, take, or send to bed

2

a : embed

b : to plant or arrange in beds

c : base, establish

3

a : to lay flat or in a layer

b : to make a bed in or of

4

: to have sexual intercourse with

Examples of BED

1. He has fantasies about bedding a fashion model.
2. <the campers all bedded down for the night around 9:00 p.m.>

First Known Use of BED

before 12th century

Related to BED

Synonyms

crash [slang], doss (down) [chiefly British], retire, turn in, hit the hay (or sack)

Antonyms

arise, get up, rise, uprise

Related Words

bunk, perch, roost, settle; doze, drop off, nap, nod, sleep, slumber, snooze; couch, lie (down), recline

Near Antonyms

arouse, awake, awaken, rouse, wake, waken; bestir, stir; reawake, reawaken; shift, stir

BEd

abbreviation

Definition of BED

bachelor of education

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

bed

noun \ˈbed\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of BED

1

a : a piece of furniture on or in which one may lie and sleep—see hospital bed b : the equipment and services needed to care for one hospitalized patient

2

: a layer of specialized or altered tissue especially when separating dissimilar structures—see nail bed, vascular bed

bed

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Great Bed of Ware, carved, inlaid, and painted wood, English, late 16th century; in the Victoria …—Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Crown copyright reserved

Piece of furniture on which a person may recline or sleep. Beds of simple construction appear in medieval manuscripts, as do more decorative beds with carving and inlay, embroidered coverlets, and elaborate hangings. The canopy, or tester, was introduced in the 15th century. In the 1820s the development of coiled springs fitted into mattresses revolutionized the bed. In the Middle East beds consisted of rugs piled up on the floor. In China raised and canopied beds were used 2,000 years ago. The traditional Japanese bed (futon) consists of quilted padding and a coverlet arranged on the floor.