bedpan

noun

bed·​pan ˈbed-ˌpan How to pronounce bedpan (audio)
: a shallow vessel used by a bedridden person for urination or defecation

Examples of bedpan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tawse had decorated the hospital bedpans in red, white and blue tape, a small symbol of the excitement greeting 27-year-old Elizabeth as the new head of the royal family on the brink of a technicolor age. Reuters, ABC News, 2 May 2023 Ricky, 46, says he was routinely cursed and yelled at by an elderly client and has never been paid as much as minimum wage for changing bedpans and diapers, among other chores. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2023 To insert a bedpan under a patient. Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2022 Eli, a 38-year-old patient with a chronic disease, described from his hospital bed how his roommate’s bedpan had overflowed on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, sending bloody urine all over the floor. Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2023 Nursing notes show that Burrell was placed on a bedpan. Mollie Simon, ProPublica, 7 Sep. 2022 Much to the joy of The Otis’ realtor/agent, Nicholas Brown, Pennington says neither bedpan nor vomit bag art projects made their way into the Castleberry Hill building. Hunter Boyce, ajc, 25 July 2022 David Bravo has two days to learn the basics of nursing: taking a pulse, changing a bedpan — even practicing dressing other people’s bodies by putting socks on a mannequin. Erin Alberty, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Feb. 2022 Would people drink apple juice if it was served in a brand-new bedpan? New York Times, 27 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bedpan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedpan was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near bedpan

Cite this Entry

“Bedpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedpan. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

bedpan

noun
bed·​pan ˈbed-ˌpan How to pronounce bedpan (audio)
: a shallow pan for use as a toilet by a person forced to stay in bed

Medical Definition

bedpan

noun
bed·​pan ˈbed-ˌpan How to pronounce bedpan (audio)
: a shallow vessel used by a bedridden person for urination or defecation
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