deathbed

See also: death-bed and death bed

English

Alternative forms

• 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”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛθˌbɛd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

deathbed (plural deathbeds)

1. The bed on which someone dies.

   Coordinate term: birthbed

   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 254:

     He was once on his way to an old woman, who was on her death-bed and who had led a wicked life.

2. The last hours before death.
3. A grave; the site of a burial or entombment.
   • 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 47:

     “Will you ask our oldest warriors to build me a barrow? Ask them to climb this headland and build me a death pile high on its top. Let my deathbed rise high above Hronesnesse.”

Usage notes

All three forms deathbed, death-bed, death bed are in use but deathbed seems to be preferred.

Derived terms

• deathbed conversion
• on one's deathbed

Translations

the bed on which someone dies

Afrikaans: sterfbed Bulgarian: смъ́ртно легло́ n (smǎ́rtno legló) Chinese: Mandarin: 臨終床 / 临终床 (línzhōng chuáng) Danish: dødsleje n Dutch: sterfbed (nl) n, doodsbed (nl) n Estonian: surivoodi Faroese: deyðastrá Finnish: kuolinvuode French: lit de mort (fr) m Georgian: სასიკვდილო სარეცელი (sasiḳvdilo sareceli) German: Sterbebett (de) n, Totenbett (de) n Greek: νεκροκρέβατο (el) n (nekrokrévato), νεκρική κλίνη f (nekrikí klíni) Hungarian: halálos ágy Icelandic: dánarbeður m, banasæng f, banalega (is) f Irish: leaba an bháis f Italian: letto di morte m Japanese: 死の床 (shi no toko) Norman: liet d'mort m (Jersey) Norwegian: Bokmål: dødsleie n Nynorsk: dødsleie n Old English: dēaþbedd n Polish: łoże śmierci (pl) n Portuguese: leito de morte (pt) m Russian: сме́ртное ло́же n (smértnoje lóže), сме́ртный одр m (smértnyj odr) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: самртна постеља f Roman: samrtna postelja f Spanish: lecho de muerte m Swedish: dödsbädd (sv) c Tamil: சாவுப்படுக்கை (cāvuppaṭukkai), மரணப்படுக்கை (maraṇappaṭukkai) Telugu: చావుపడక (cāvupaḍaka), మరణశయ్య (maraṇaśayya) Turkish: ölüm döşeği (tr) Ukrainian: сме́ртне ло́же n (smértne lóže)