air bed

IPA/ˈeə bˈɛd/
IPA/ˈɛɹ bˈɛd/

air bed — phrase

1. a portable bed with a plastic mattress that you fill with air before sleeping on

1.phraseB2
Definition

a portable bed with a plastic mattress that you fill with air before sleeping on it

Example

Yuna blew up the air bed before her cousins arrived.

blow up an air bed for guests

Felipe slept on an air bed beside the lake.

Common collocations
  • blow up an air bed
  • sleep on an air bed
  • pack an air bed
  • fold an air bed away
Synonyms
  • air mattress

    more common, especially in American English, for the same kind of inflatable bed

  • inflatable mattress

    a slightly more descriptive term that focuses on the mattress material

Grammar Patterns

blow up an air bed

sleep on an air bed

pack an air bed for camping

Usage Note

Usually refers to a temporary bed for guests, camping, or travel. People often talk about blowing it up, letting the air out, or folding it away after use.

Common Mistakes

We slept on an air bed sheet in the tent.
We slept on an air bed in the tent.
an air bed is the inflatable bed itself, not a sheet or cover.
The hotel gave us an air bed room.
The hotel gave us an air bed for the extra guest.
use the phrase for the object you sleep on, not for a room.

Etymology

First known use

1809

1809, in the meaning defined above