# bed

/ˈbɛd/ (US) · /bˈɛd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bed
Updated: 2026-05-31

## Senses

### 1. furniture for sleep

noun · CEFR A1

a piece of furniture that you sleep or rest on.

For teachers: a piece of furniture, typically consisting of a mattress on a frame, used for sleeping or resting.

- He was so tired that he went straight to bed after dinner.
- The hotel room featured a king-sized bed with high-thread-count linens and an ergonomic mattress designed for maximum comfort.

Usage: Used without an article in the phrase 'go to bed' to refer to the act of sleeping.

### 2. bottom of water/truck

noun · CEFR B1

the bottom part of a river, ocean, or a large vehicle like a truck.

For teachers: the ground at the bottom of a body of water, or the flat cargo area of a vehicle.

- The river bed was full of smooth stones and green plants.
- The divers explored the sandy sea bed, searching for any debris that might have come from the sunken vessel.

Usage: Often used in compound nouns like 'riverbed' or 'seabed'.

### 3. garden area

noun · CEFR B1

a small area of ground in a garden where you grow flowers or vegetables.

For teachers: a plot of ground prepared for plants.

- We planted some fresh lettuce in the vegetable bed this morning.
- The gardener carefully weeded the flower bed to ensure the prize-winning roses had enough nutrients to bloom.

### 4. geological layer

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a layer of rock or soil in the ground.

For teachers: a distinct layer of sedimentary rock or soil that is visually different from the layers above and below it.

- The miners found a thick bed of coal deep underground.
- The cliff face clearly displayed a bed of limestone sandwiched between layers of shale, indicating a shift in the ancient environment.

### 5. to fix firmly

verb · CEFR B2

to fix something firmly into a base or surface.

For teachers: to fix or settle something firmly in a surrounding mass or foundation.

- You need to bed the fence posts in concrete so they don't move.
- The technician bedded the delicate sensors into the silicone casing to protect them from external vibrations during the experiment.

Usage: Often used with the particle 'in' or 'down'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.