Definition of Bed. Meaning of Bed. Synonyms of Bed
Here you will find one or more explanations in English for the word Bed.
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Definition of Bed
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.
And made for him [a horse] a leafy bed. --Byron.
I wash, wring, brew, bake, . . . make the beds.
--Shak.
In bed he slept not for my urging it. --Shak.
2. (Used as the symbol of matrimony) Marriage.
George, the eldest son of his second bed.
--Clarendon.
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.
4. A mass or heap of anything arranged like a bed; as, a bed
of ashes or coals.
5. The bottom of a watercourse, or of any body of water; as,
the bed of a river.
So sinks the daystar in the ocean bed. --Milton.
6. (Geol.) A layer or seam, or a horizontal stratum between
layers; as, a bed of coal, iron, etc.
7. (Gun.) See Gun carriage, and Mortar bed.
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.
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.
10. The superficial earthwork, or ballast, of a railroad.
11. (Printing) The flat part of the press, on which the form
is laid.
Note: Bed is much used adjectively or in combination; as, bed
key or bedkey; bed wrench or bedwrench; bedchamber;
bedmaker, etc.
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.
Bed Bed Bed, v. i.
To go to bed; to cohabit.
If he be married, and bed with his wife. --Wiseman.
b Infinitive In*fin"i*tive, n. [L. infinitivus: cf. F.
infinitif. See Infinite.]
Unlimited; not bounded or restricted; undefined.
Infinitive mood (Gram.), that form of the verb which merely
names the action, and performs the office of a verbal
noun. Some grammarians make two forms in English: (a)
The simple form, as, speak, go, hear, before which to is
commonly placed, as, to speak; to go; to hear. (b) The
form of the imperfect participle, called the infinitive in
-ing; as, going is as easy as standing.
Note: With the auxiliary verbs may, can, must, might, could,
would, and should, the simple infinitive is expressed
without to; as, you may speak; they must hear, etc. The
infinitive usually omits to with the verbs let, dare,
do, bid, make, see, hear, need, etc.; as, let me go;
you dare not tell; make him work; hear him talk, etc.
Note: In Anglo-Saxon, the simple infinitive was not preceded
by to (the sign of modern simple infinitive), but it
had a dative form (sometimes called the gerundial
infinitive) which was preceded by to, and was chiefly
employed in expressing purpose. See Gerund, 2.
Note: The gerundial ending (-anne) not only took the same
form as the simple infinitive (-an), but it was
confounded with the present participle in -ende, or
-inde (later -inge).
b Labial La"bi*al, n.
1. (Phonetics) A letter or character representing an
articulation or sound formed or uttered chiefly with the
lips, as b, p, w.
2. (Mus.) An organ pipe that is furnished with lips; a flue
pipe.
3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the scales which border the mouth of a
fish or reptile.
b Mute Mute, n.
1. One who does not speak, whether from physical inability,
unwillingness, or other cause. Specifically:
(a) One who, from deafness, either congenital or from
early life, is unable to use articulate language; a
deaf-mute.
(b) A person employed by undertakers at a funeral.
(c) A person whose part in a play does not require him to
speak.
(d) Among the Turks, an officer or attendant who is
selected for his place because he can not speak.
2. (Phon.) A letter which represents no sound; a silent
letter; also, a close articulation; an element of speech
formed by a position of the mouth organs which stops the
passage of the breath; as, p, b, d, k, t.
3. (Mus.) A little utensil made of brass, ivory, or other
material, so formed that it can be fixed in an erect
position on the bridge of a violin, or similar instrument,
in order to deaden or soften the tone.
b Ferment Fer"ment, n. [L. fermentum ferment (in senses 1 & 2),
perh. for fervimentum, fr. fervere to be boiling hot, boil,
ferment: cf. F. ferment. Cf. 1st Barm, Fervent.]
1. That which causes fermentation, as yeast, barm, or
fermenting beer.
Note: Ferments are of two kinds: (a) Formed or organized
ferments. (b) Unorganized or structureless ferments.
The latter are also called soluble or chemical
ferments, and enzymes. Ferments of the first class
are as a rule simple microscopic vegetable organisms,
and the fermentations which they engender are due to
their growth and development; as, the acetic ferment,
the butyric ferment, etc. See Fermentation.
Ferments of the second class, on the other hand, are
chemical substances, as a rule soluble in glycerin and
precipitated by alcohol. In action they are catalytic
and, mainly, hydrolytic. Good examples are pepsin of
the dastric juice, ptyalin of the salvia, and disease
of malt.
b Gastropoda Gas*trop"o*da, n. pl., [NL., fr. Gr. ?, ?, stomach
+ -poda.] (Zo["o]l.)
One of the classes of Mollusca, of great extent. It includes
most of the marine spiral shells, and the land and
fresh-water snails. They generally creep by means of a flat,
muscular disk, or foot, on the ventral side of the body. The
head usually bears one or two pairs of tentacles. See
Mollusca. [Written also Gasteropoda.]
Note: The Gastropoda are divided into three subclasses; viz.:
(a) The Streptoneura or Dioecia, including the
Pectinibranchiata, Rhipidoglossa, Docoglossa, and
Heteropoda. (b) The Euthyneura, including the
Pulmonata and Opisthobranchia. (c) The Amphineura,
including the Polyplacophora and Aplacophora.
