bedspread

IPA/ˈbedspred/
KK[bˈɛdsprˌɛd]IPA/ˈbedspred/

bedspread — noun

  • bedspreadsingular
  • bedspreadsplural

1. a large cloth laid over a made bed, mainly to hide the other covers and make the

1.nounB2
Definition

a large cloth laid over a made bed, mainly to hide the other covers and make the bed look attractive

Example

Before guests arrived, Hana smoothed the white bedspread across the spare bed.

smooth a bedspread across the bed

After breakfast, Mina pulled the bedspread over the sheets and pillows.

Common collocations
  • patterned bedspread
  • yellow bedspread
  • smooth the bedspread
  • fold the bedspread
  • bedspread with flowers
Synonyms
  • bedcover

    very close in meaning and often interchangeable

  • coverlet

    often suggests a lighter or slightly more old-fashioned decorative cover

  • quilt

    usually names a stitched cover that also gives warmth

Grammar Patterns

spread a bedspread over the bed

smooth the bedspread

fold the bedspread

Usage Note

Usually countable and used for the top outer layer on a made bed. Often contrasted with blanket, quilt, or duvet, which are more closely tied to warmth.

Common Mistakes

She slept under the bedspread all winter.
She slept under a thick duvet all winter.
a bedspread is usually the top decorative layer, not the main cover for warmth.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For this sense, bedspread is a common word for the cloth layer spread over the whole bed after it has been made. Bedcover is extremely close and can often replace it, though bedspread may sound a little more natural in North American home-furnishing use. Coverlet usually suggests a lighter and more decorative layer, and it can sound slightly traditional. Quilt overlaps in shape, but it normally points to a stitched cover that gives warmth as well as color or pattern. So you might smooth a bedspread before visitors arrive, buy a coverlet for a summer room, or pull a quilt over yourself on a cold night.

bedspread ↗bedcover ↗coverlet ↗quilt ↗

Etymology

English

Bedspread is an English compound built from bed and spread. The second part comes from the verb spread, because the cloth is spread flat over the bed. From the beginning, the word has referred to the cover laid across the top of a bed, especially one that also adds color or style to a room.