Definition of 'bed'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense, 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.
2. countable noun
3. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
4. countable noun
A bed of shellfish or plants is an area in the sea or in a lake where a particular type of shellfish
or 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.
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.
7. countable noun [usually singular]
If a recipe or a menu says that something is served on a bed of 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]
10.
11.
12.
16. bed of roses
Phrasal verbs:
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word forms: plural BEds
regional 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.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of 'bed'
noun
4.
any place in which a person or animal sleeps or rests
7. informal
sexual intercourse
8.
a plot of ground in which plants are grown, esp when considered together with the plants
in it
a flower bed
9.
the bottom of a river, lake, or sea
11.
14.
any underlying structure or part
15.
a layer of rock, esp sedimentary rock
16.
17.
19. a bed of roses
21. bed of nails
23. go to bed
24. in bed with
25. put to 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
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin of 'bed'
Word Frequency
BEd in American
or B.Ed. Bachelor of Education
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
noun
1.
2.
3.
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.
9.
10.
b.
the underside of a brick, slate, or tile
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:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'bed'
Word Frequency
bed in Chemical Engineering
(bɛd)Word forms: (regular plural) beds
noun
(Chemical Engineering: General)
fluidized bed, moving bed reactor, spouted bed, trickle bed reactorA 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.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
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.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
bed in Hospitality
(bɛd)Word forms: (regular plural) beds
noun
Bed vocabularyThe following are terms for items relating to beds.beddingblanketcomforterduvetduvet coverfeather pillowmattresspillowpillowcasesheet(Hospitality (hotel): Hotel room, bedroom)
bunk beds, double bed, make the bed, twin bedA 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.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Example sentences containing 'bed'
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
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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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Cooking with Beans and PulsesEight 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. What Katy Did (1872)
Trends of 'bed'
Very Common. bed is one of the 4000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary
View usage for:
Translations for '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
- Spanish: cama
- Swedish: säng
- Thai: เตียงนอน
- Turkish: yatak
- Ukrainian: ліжко
- Vietnamese: giường
Nearby words of 'bed'
Source
Definition of bed from the
Collins English Dictionary
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