deathbed

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The bed on which someone dies.
  2. The last hours before death.
  3. A grave; the site of a burial or entombment.

Pronunciation

/ˈdɛθˌbɛd/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-deathbed.wav

Word forms

deathbed deathbeds death-bed death bed

Etymology

From Middle English dethbed, from Old English dēaþbedd (“deathbed; grave”), equivalent to death + bed. Cognate with Swedish dödsbädd (“deathbed”). Compare also Dutch sterfbed (“deathbed”), German Sterbebett and Totenbett (both “deathbed”), Danish dødsleje (“deathbed”).

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