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.
   • 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.

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

• Bulgarian: смъ́ртно легло́ n (smǎ́rtno legló)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 臨終床／临终床 (línzhōng chuáng)

• Danish: dødsleje 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)