bedcover

IPA/ˈbedkʌvə(r)/
IPA/ˈbedkʌvər/

bedcover — noun

1. a cloth layer spread over the other coverings on a bed, mainly to make the bed l

1.nounB2
Definition

a cloth layer spread over the other coverings on a bed, mainly to make the bed look neat or attractive

Example

Nina spread a blue bedcover across the guest bed before her aunt arrived.

spread a bedcover across the bed

The quilt stayed underneath, while the bedcover added color to the room.

bedcover over another layer for decoration

Common collocations
  • blue bedcover
  • fold the bedcover
  • patterned bedcover
  • spread a bedcover
Synonyms
  • bedspread

    very close in meaning; often the more usual word in North American English

  • coverlet

    often sounds a little more old-fashioned or literary, and may suggest a lighter cover

  • quilt

    usually a stitched warm cover, not simply a decorative top layer

Grammar Patterns

spread a bedcover over the bed

fold the bedcover

choose a bedcover with a pattern

Usage Note

Usually singular and countable in this sense. It names the top outer layer, not the thicker blanket or duvet underneath.

Common Mistakes

She slept under the bedcover all winter.
She slept under a thick blanket all winter.
a bedcover is mainly the top decorative layer, not usually the warm layer you rely on in cold weather.

2. the sheets, blankets, and similar cloth layers used to make a bed ready for slee

2.nounB2
Definition

the sheets, blankets, and similar cloth layers used to make a bed ready for sleeping

Example

In winter, Grandma aired the bedcovers by the window every Friday.

plural British use: the bedcovers

The children hid under the bedcovers until the thunderstorm passed.

under the bedcovers

Common collocations
  • air the bedcovers
  • clean bedcovers
  • pull up the bedcovers
  • under the bedcovers
Synonyms
  • bedclothes

    very close in meaning and often more common in British English

  • bedding

    broader modern word; can also include pillows and sometimes the mattress

  • linen

    used especially in hotels or shops, often for sheets and pillowcases rather than all covers

Grammar Patterns

wash the bedcovers

pull up the bedcovers

hide under the bedcovers

Usage Note

Usually plural in British English in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1: here the word means the whole set of cloth layers on the bed, not just the top cover.

Common Mistakes

She washed the bedcover and put them back on the bed.
She washed the bedcovers and put them back on the bed.
this British sense is normally plural.
The bedcovers means the pillow and mattress too.
The bedcovers means the sheets and covers on the bed.
this sense is about the cloth layers, not the whole bed.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, bedcover is a general word for the top cloth layer that makes a bed look finished. Bedspread is often almost the same word, especially in North American English, and may be the more familiar choice in stores. Coverlet usually suggests a lighter or more decorative layer and can sound slightly more traditional. Duvet is different: it is a thick stuffed cover used mainly for warmth, even if it also looks nice. So you can buy a patterned bedcover for a guest room, smooth a bedspread before visitors arrive, or pull a duvet over yourself on a cold night.

bedcover ↗bedspread ↗coverlet ↗duvet ↗

Etymology

English

Bedcover was formed in English by joining bed and cover. The parts are simple and literal: it originally named something that covers a bed, and later also came to mean the cloth layers on the bed in British use.