English Reference

Word

abed

US/əˈbɛd/

UK/ɐbˈɛd/

Definition

adv. in bed. This is an old-fashioned way to say you are resting or sleeping.

adv. in a state of being in bed; resting or sleeping. Archaic in modern usage, primarily found in historical or poetic contexts.

Examples

“He lay abed until the sun rose.”

“The old man remained abed for several days after his illness, waiting for his strength to return.”

“In the quiet hours of the morning, the young poet sat abed, scribbling verses on scraps of paper before the household began its daily routine.”

Examples

simple

“He lay abed until the sun rose.”

contextual

“The old man remained abed for several days after his illness, waiting for his strength to return.”

complex

“In the quiet hours of the morning, the young poet sat abed, scribbling verses on scraps of paper before the household began its daily routine.”

Etymology

From Middle English abedde, o bedde, from Old English on (“in”) + bedde (“bed”). Equivalent to a- (“in, on”) + bed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference