To make a bed

To make a bed
Bed Bed, n. [AS. bed, bedd; akin to OS. bed, D. bed, bedde, Icel. be?r, Dan. bed, Sw. b["a]dd, Goth. badi, OHG. betti, G. bett, bette, bed, beet a plat of ground; all of uncertain origin.] 1. An article of furniture to sleep or take rest in or on; a couch. Specifically: A sack or mattress, filled with some soft material, in distinction from the bedstead on which it is placed (as, a feather bed), or this with the bedclothes added. In a general sense, any thing or place used for sleeping or reclining on or in, as a quantity of hay, straw, leaves, or twigs. [1913 Webster]

And made for him [a horse] a leafy bed. --Byron. [1913 Webster]

I wash, wring, brew, bake, . . . make the beds. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

In bed he slept not for my urging it. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. (Used as the symbol of matrimony) Marriage. [1913 Webster]

George, the eldest son of his second bed. --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]

3. A plat or level piece of ground in a garden, usually a little raised above the adjoining ground. ``Beds of hyacinth and roses.'' --Milton. [1913 Webster]

4. A mass or heap of anything arranged like a bed; as, a bed of ashes or coals. [1913 Webster]

5. The bottom of a watercourse, or of any body of water; as, the bed of a river. [1913 Webster]

So sinks the daystar in the ocean bed. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

6. (Geol.) A layer or seam, or a horizontal stratum between layers; as, a bed of coal, iron, etc. [1913 Webster]

7. (Gun.) See {Gun carriage}, and {Mortar bed}. [1913 Webster]

8. (Masonry) (a) The horizontal surface of a building stone; as, the upper and lower beds. (b) A course of stone or brick in a wall. (c) The place or material in which a block or brick is laid. (d) The lower surface of a brick, slate, or tile. --Knight. [1913 Webster]

9. (Mech.) The foundation or the more solid and fixed part or framing of a machine; or a part on which something is laid or supported; as, the bed of an engine. [1913 Webster]

10. The superficial earthwork, or ballast, of a railroad. [1913 Webster]

11. (Printing) The flat part of the press, on which the form is laid. [1913 Webster]

Note: Bed is much used adjectively or in combination; as, bed key or bedkey; bed wrench or bedwrench; bedchamber; bedmaker, etc. [1913 Webster]

{Bed of justice} (French Hist.), the throne (F. lit bed) occupied by the king when sitting in one of his parliaments (judicial courts); hence, a session of a refractory parliament, at which the king was present for the purpose of causing his decrees to be registered.

{To be brought to bed}, to be delivered of a child; -- often followed by of; as, to be brought to bed of a son.

{To make a bed}, to prepare a bed; to arrange or put in order a bed and its bedding.

{From bed and board} (Law), a phrase applied to a separation by partial divorce of man and wife, without dissolving the bonds of matrimony. If such a divorce (now commonly called a judicial separation) be granted at the instance of the wife, she may have alimony. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • make a bed — To tidy and put in order the bedclothes on a bed • • • Main Entry: ↑bed * * * make a bed phrase to arrange the covers on a bed so that they are tidy Remember to make your bed before you leave for school. Thesaurus: to make things cleaner or… …   Useful english dictionary

  • make your bed and lie in it — ◇ Expressions like you ve made your bed, and now you must lie in it mean that you have done something that causes problems and now you must accept and deal with those problems. There s nothing we can do to help her. She s made her bed and has to… …   Useful english dictionary

  • make the bed — arrange the sheets and blankets on a bed    Please make the bed before you eat breakfast …   English idioms

  • make a bed — to arrange the covers on a bed so that they are tidy Remember to make your bed before you leave for school …   English dictionary

  • To make a bed — make make, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {made} (m[=a]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {making}.] [OE. maken, makien, AS. macian; akin to OS. mak?n, OFries. makia, D. maken, G. machen, OHG. mahh?n to join, fit, prepare, make, Dan. mage. Cf. {Match} an equal.] 1. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • make the bed — make (up) the bed to smooth and arrange the covers on a bed so it is ready for someone to sleep in. It took me the whole morning to make the beds and do the wash …   New idioms dictionary

  • make a bed — застилать постель he turned over and over in his bed он ворочался в постели to lie snug in bed свернуться калачиком в постели to be confined to bed быть прикованным к постели he jumped out of bed он вскочил с постели to roll over in bed… …   English-Russian travelling dictionary

  • make a bed — prepare a bed for use, arrange the sheets and blankets on a bed …   English contemporary dictionary

  • make the bed — verb To arrange the sheets of a bed in a neat way …   Wiktionary

  • make the bed — arrange the bed, arrange the sheets …   English contemporary dictionary

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