Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, plural beds, present participle bedding, past tense, past participle bedded
1. countable noun
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
She went into her bedroom and lay down on the bed.
We finally went to bed at about 4am.
By the time we got back from dinner, Nona was already in bed.
When she had gone, Sam and Robina put the children to bed.
Synonyms: bedstead, couch, berth, cot More Synonyms of bed
2. countable noun
If a place such as a hospital or a hotel has a particular number of beds, it is able to hold that number of patients or guests.
3. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
A bed in a garden or park is an area of ground that has been specially prepared so that plants can be grownin it.
The geraniums in the flower bed looked bedraggled from the heavy rain.
...beds of strawberries and rhubarb.
Synonyms: plot, area, row, strip More Synonyms of bed
4. countable noun
A bed of shellfish or plants is an area in the sea or in a lake where a particular type of shellfishor plant is found in large quantities.
Fishermen fear valuable oyster and mussel beds could be decimated.
The whole lake was rimmed with thick beds of reeds.
5. countable noun [usually singular]
The sea bed or a river bed is the ground at the bottom of the sea or of a river.
For three weeks a big operation went on to recover the wreckage from the sea bed.
...the bare bed of a dry stream.
Synonyms: bottom, ground, floor More Synonyms of bed
6. countable noun
A bed of rock is a layer of rock that is found within a larger area of rock.
Between the white limestone and the greyish pink limestone is a thin bed of clay.
...a sandstone bed.
Synonyms: base, footing, basis, bottom More Synonyms of bed
7. countable noun [usually singular]
If a recipe or a menu says that something is served on a bedof a food such as rice or vegetables, it means it is served on a layer of that food.
Heat the curry thoroughly and serve it on a bed of rice. [+ of]
Synonyms: layer, mass, pile, heap More Synonyms of bed
8. See also -bedded, bedding
9.
See get sb into bed
10.
See go to bed
11.
See in bed
12.
See in bed
13.
See made one's bed...lie in it
14.
See make the bed/make sb's bed/make a bed
15.
See got out of bed on the wrong side
16. bed of roses
Phrasal verbs:
See bed down
More Synonyms of bed
BEd
(biːed)
Word forms: plural BEdsregional note: in AM, use B.Ed.
countable noun
A BEd is a degree which usually takes four years to complete and which qualifies someone to teach in a school. BEd is an abbreviation for 'Bachelor of Education.' Compare PGCE.
bed in British English
(bɛd)
noun
1.
a piece of furniture on which to sleep
2.
the mattress and bedclothes on such a piece of furniture
an unmade bed
3.
sleep or rest
time for bed
4.
any place in which a person or animal sleeps or rests
5. medicine
a unit of potential occupancy in a hospital or residential institution
6. informal
a place for sexual intercourse
7. informal
sexual intercourse
8.
a plot of ground in which plants are grown, esp when considered together with the plantsin it
a flower bed
9.
the bottom of a river, lake, or sea
10.
a part of this used for cultivation of a plant or animal
oyster beds
11.
a layer of crushed rock, gravel, etc, used as a foundation for a road, railway, etc
12.
a layer of mortar in a masonry wall
13.
the underside of a brick, tile, slate, etc, when in position
Compare back1 (sense 12)
14.
any underlying structure or part
15.
a layer of rock, esp sedimentary rock
16.
the flat part of a letterpress printing press onto or against which the type forme is placed
17.
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
18.
a machine base on which a moving part carrying a tool or workpiece slides
lathe bed
19. a bed of roses
20. to be brought to bed
21. bed of nails
22. get out of bed on the wrong side
23. go to bed
24. in bed with
25. put to bed
26. take to one's bed
verbWord forms: beds, bedding or bedded
27. (usually foll by down)
to go to or put into a place to sleep or rest
28. (transitive) informal
to have sexual intercourse with
29. (transitive)
to place, fix, or sink firmly into position; embed
30. geology
to form or be arranged in a distinct layer; stratify
31. (transitive; often foll byout)
to plant in a bed of soil
Word origin
Old English bedd; related to Old Norse bethr, Old High German betti, Gothic badi
BEd in British English
abbreviation for
Bachelor of Education
BEd in American English
or B.Ed.
Bachelor of Education
bed in American English
(bɛd)
noun
1.
a thing for sleeping or resting on; specif., a piece of furniture consisting usuallyof a bedstead, bedspring, mattress, and bedding
2.
bedstead
3.
bedtime
4.
any place used for sleeping or reclining
5.
such a place regarded as the scene of sexual intercourse or procreation
6.
a.
a plot of soil where plants are raised
b.
the flowers or vegetables growing in this
7.
a.
the bottom of a river, lake, etc.
b.
a place on the ocean floor where something grows in abundance
oyster bed
8.
an enclosing substance, as rock in which shells, minerals, etc. are lodged
9.
any flat surface used as a foundation or support, as the earth, gravel, etc. underthe rails and ties of a railroad
10.
a.
a layer of cement or mortar in which stone or brick is laid
b.
the underside of a brick, slate, or tile
11.
a pile or heap resembling a bed, esp. in softness or shape
a bed of leaves
12.
a geologic layer; stratum
a bed of coal
13. US
the flat surface on which cargo is placed, as in a pickup or flatbed
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈbedded or ˈbedding
14.
to provide with a sleeping place
15.
to put to bed
16.
to have sexual intercourse with
17.
to fix or place firmly; embed
18.
to plant or arrange in a bed of earth
19.
to make (earth) into a bed for plants
20.
to lay out flat like a bed; arrange in layers
verb intransitive
21.
to go to bed; rest; sleep
22.
to form in layers; stratify
Idioms:
be brought to bed (of)
bed and board
bed down
get up on the wrong side of the bed
put to bed
take to one's bed
Word origin
ME & OE < IE base *bhedh-, to dig > Ger bett, L fossa, ditch, W bedd, Bret béz, a grave; orig. sense “a sleeping hollow in the ground”
bed in Chemical Engineering
(bɛd)
Word forms: (regular plural) beds
noun
(Chemical Engineering: General)
A bed is a thick layer of particles in a vessel.
The flow rate must be rapid enough to agitate the bed of limestone particles.
Fluidization can be defined as the suspension and agitation of a bed of solid particles by a rising stream of gas.
A bed is a thick layer of particles in a vessel.
fluidized bed, moving bed reactor, spouted bed, trickle bed reactor
bed in Mechanical Engineering
(bɛd)
Word forms: (regular plural) beds
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Manufacturing and assembly)
The bed of a machine is the base on which a moving part carrying a tool or workpiece rests.
First, lay the wood on the bed of the machine.
The lathe should be set up so the cutting tool feeds automatically along the bed of the lathe.
The bed of a machine is the base on which a moving part carrying a tool or workpiece rests.
bed in Hospitality
(bɛd)
Word forms: (regular plural) beds
noun
(Hospitality (hotel): Hotel room, bedroom)
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
The accommodation has up to 150 beds.
Most guests are ready to go to bed by 11 p.m.
The hotel room is simple, with only a bed, a bureau, and a shower.
bunk beds, double bed, make the bed, twin bed
Bed vocabularyThe following are terms for items relating to beds.beddingblanketcomforterduvetduvet coverfeather pillowmattresspillowpillowcasesheet
More idioms containing
bed
someone has made their bed and will have to lie on it
someone got out of bed the wrong side
put something to bed
not a bed of roses
get into bed with someone
COBUILD Collocations
bed
antique bed
available bed
cage bed
comfortable bed
comfy bed
dog bed
empty bed
hotel bed
makeshift bed
marital bed
narrow bed
proper bed
raised bed
share a bed
Examples of 'bed' in a sentence
bed
We used to be able to sleep in our beds because we had a very capable military.
The Sun (2016)
Something that needs to return to the sea bed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We used to have five cases while the rest of the beds were empty on any given day.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And 44 per cent go to bed feeling guilty about what they have scoffed.
The Sun (2016)
Just don't offer to help when they come to make your hospital bed.
The Sun (2016)
Proposals to cut at least 1,800 beds and close about ten local hospitals have also been put forward.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I got a taste of that when he asked me not to help make his bed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He grins and gestures towards a rough, stony track resembling a dry river bed, which loops past his house.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Fill the bed with soil or compost suitable for the plants you want to grow.
The Sun (2014)
There are new plants and beds ablaze with colour.
The Sun (2013)
Here a neat little bed was already prepared.
Johanna Spyri Heidi (1881)
None of us recalls sleeping in a double bed until we were cohabiting or married.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The birds come to feed on algae from the lake bed.
The Sun (2009)
You can also choose to rest in bed after a warm treatment.
MacEoin, Beth Healthy By Nature (1994)
Serve on a bed of rice with whole coriander leaves sprinkled on top.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He was to the furthest part of the bed.
The Sun (2011)
These leave a long bed about eighteen feet wide on each side of the central pathway.
Page, Russell The Education of a Gardener (1994)
You will be kitted out with a wetsuit and breathing apparatus while taking a sea bed walk.
The Sun (2016)
She has only recently stopped sleeping in our bed at night.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
She bought a new bed and new furniture and made it very cosy.
The Sun (2010)
She had ideas for new beds and new plant combinations.
Eddison, Sydney A Patchwork Garden: Unexpected Pleasures from a Country Garden (1990)
In reed beds beside the lakes another summer visitor has just arrived.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Then he rested on a bed overnight.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Serve on a bed of brown rice garnished with toasted almonds.
Elliot, Rose Cooking with Beans and Pulses
Eight will also have to share double beds as part of the plan to make this series.
The Sun (2010)
So deal with perennial weeds before filling the bed with soil and deal with annuals as they grow.
The Sun (2007)
For two months church members fed people porridge and noodles twice a day and made up makeshift beds from the pews.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The host was already in bed.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Sometimes in a nightie, lying across a double bed.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
When most people make their beds, they end up lying on them.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
As these thoughts ran through her mind, her head grew hotter and her position in the bed more uncomfortable.
Susan Coolidge What Katy Did (1872)
Quotations
And so to bedSamuel PepysDiary
'Tis very warm weather when one's in bedJonathan SwiftJournal to Stella
As you make your bed, so you must lie in it
In other languages
bed
British English: bed /bɛd/ NOUN
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
We went to bed at about 4a.m.
American English: bed
Arabic: سَرير
Brazilian Portuguese: cama
Chinese: 床
Croatian: krevet
Czech: postel
Danish: seng
Dutch: bed
European Spanish: cama
Finnish: vuode
French: lit
German: Bett
Greek: κρεβάτι
Italian: letto
Japanese: ベッド
Korean: 침대
Norwegian: seng
Polish: łóżko
European Portuguese: cama
Romanian: pat
Russian: кровать
Latin American Spanish: cama
Swedish: säng
Thai: เตียงนอน
Turkish: yatak
Ukrainian: ліжко
Vietnamese: giường
All related terms of 'bed'
Z-bed
an occasional bed that folds in the shape of a Z
bed in
to fit (parts) together accurately or (of parts) to be fitted together, either through machining or use, as in fitting a bearing to its shaft
in bed
If you say that someone is in bed with someone else, you mean that they are having sex in bed.
air bed
an inflatable mattress
bed pad
a pad placed under the bottom sheet of a bed
bed tea
(in some Asian countries) tea served to a guest in bed in the morning
day bed
a narrow bed , with a head piece and sometimes a foot piece and back, on which to recline during the day
dog bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep .
pay bed
(in Britain) a hospital bed whose occupant receives free treatment but pays for nonmedical advantages , such as privacy
pig bed
a bed of sand in which pig iron is cast
bed board
a thin, stiff board placed on a bed under the mattress to lend added support for the body
bed down
If you bed down somewhere , you sleep there for the night, instead of in a bed.
bed linen
Bed linen is sheets and pillowcases.
bed liner
a stiff , durable plastic lining used to protect the bed and side walls of the cargo space of some pickup trucks
bed rest
a period of resting in bed
bone bed
a sediment containing large quantities of fossilized animal remains , such as bones, teeth, scales , etc
bunk bed
Bunk beds are two beds fixed one above the other in a frame .
cage bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep .
camp bed
A camp bed is a small bed that you can fold up.
comfy bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep .
divan bed
a backless sofa or couch , designed to be set against a wall
empty bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep .
hotel bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
lava bed
a large expanse of flat lava flows
lazy bed
(in parts of Scotland and Ireland , formerly) a patch in which potatoes were cultivated by laying them on the surface and covering them with kelp and with soil from a trench on either side of the bed
loft bed
a bed raised , as on supports, high enough overhead to allow the use of the floor area below for various purposes, as for part of a living room
ocean bed
the bottom of the ocean
river bed
A river bed is the ground which a river flows over.
rota bed
a bed in an old people's home, reserved for the regular respite care of dependent old people
sofa bed
A sofa bed is a type of sofa whose seat folds out so that it can also be used as a bed.
test-bed
A test bed is a piece of equipment used for testing new machines .
twin bed
Twin beds are two single beds in one bedroom .
water bed
a heavy vinyl bag filled with water and used as a bed or as a mattress in a special bed frame
amenity bed
(in Britain) a hospital bed whose occupant receives free treatment but pays for nonmedical advantages , such as privacy
antique bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
bed jacket
a woman's short upper garment worn over a nightgown when sitting up in bed
bed molding
a molding below a projecting part, esp. between the corona and frieze
bed settee
a settee which can be converted into a bed
bed-wetting
the act or habit of involuntarily urinating in bed
double bed
the smallest size of bed that is considered big enough for two people
feather bed
a mattress filled with feathers or down
filter bed
a layer of sand or gravel in a tank or reservoir through which a liquid is passed so as to purify it
go to bed
To go to bed with someone means to have sex with them.
marital bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
Murphy bed
a bed designed to be folded or swung into a cabinet when not in use
mussel bed
an area on the sea bed where mussels are bred
narrow bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep .
oyster bed
An oyster bed is a place where oysters breed and grow naturally or are kept for food or pearls.
proper bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
raised bed
A bed in a garden or park is an area of ground that has been specially prepared so that plants can be grown in it.
Chinese translation of 'bed'
bed
(bɛd)
n(c)
(= piece of furniture) 床 (chuáng) (张(張), zhāng)
(= bottom)[of river, sea]底部 (dǐbù) (个(個), gè)
[of flowers]坛(罈) (tán) (个(個), gè)
⇒ beds of strawberries and rhubarb一片片的草莓和大黄 (yī piànpiàn de cǎoméi hé dàhuáng)
[of coal, clay]层(層) (céng)
to go to bed去睡觉(覺) (qù shuìjiào)
to go to bed with sb与(與)某人发(發)生性关(關)系(係) (yǔ mǒurén fāshēng xìng guānxi)