bedtime

The time for retiring to bed. "Bell! thou soundest merrily; Tellest thou at evening, Bed - time draweth nigh." Long fellow: Translations; Song of the Bell. † bed'-ward, adv. As adjective: Towards bed or rest, or the time of resting. "Couch'd, and now fill'd with pasture gazing sat, Or bed - ward ruminating."- Milton: P. L., iv. 350. In the examples which follow bedward looks like a substantive; but in reality toward is split into two words, to and ward , and the substantive is only bed . "While your poor fool and clown, for fear of peril, Sweats hourly for a dry brown crust to bedward." Albumazar ( 0. Pl ), vii. 160. "As merry as when our nuptial day was done, And tapers burned to bedward." bed-winch, s. Shakesp.: Coriol., 1. 6. An implement used to tighten up or to loosen and extract bed screws in wooden bedsteads. (Frequently spelt and pronounced bed-wrench.) bed-work, s. Work done in bed without any great exertion of energy; work performed with no toil of the hands. IMG:content-1180.png:[blocks in formation] 2. To make partaker of the bed. "There was a doubt ripped up, whether Arthur was bedded with his lady."- Bacon. 3. Reflectively: To make one's self a bed or place of rest anywhere. "A snake bedded himself under the threshold of a country house."- L'Estrange . 4. To supply a horse or cow with litter. II. Of a plant -bed in a garden : 1. To lay out plants in rectangular or other plots. 2. To sow or plant in earth. "Lay the turf with the gra side downward, upon which lay some of your best mould to bed your quick in, and lay your quick upon it."- Mortimer . III. Of anything hollow and bed - like : To lay in anything hollow and bed-like. IV. Of anything which lies flat : To lay in order; to stratify; specially of laying a course of bricks or stones in mortar or cement. B. Intransitive : To cohabit. "If he be married, and bed with his wife, Wiseman. * běd (1), pret. of BID (q.v.). "Nor leave his stand untill his Captaine bed. " Spenser: F. Q., I. ix. 41. *běd (2), pret. of BIDE (q.v.). [A.S. bad; from bid an to abide.] Abode. "Then sped up to Cabrach sone, Whair they bed all that night." Battell of Balrinnes . ( Poems 16th Cent ., p. 350.) bě-dăb'-ble, v.t. [Eng. prefix be , and dabble . ] To sprinkle over; to wet. bě-dăb'-bled, pa . par . & a. [BEDABBLE.] "Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briars." Shakesp.: Mids. Night's Dream , iii 2 "Idols of gold from heathen temples torn, Bedabbled all with blood." Scott: Vision of Don Roderick , 31. bě-dăb-bling, pr . par . & a. [BEDABBLE.] * bě-dăff, v.t. [Eng. prefix be , and O. Eng. daff a fool.] To make a fool of. "Be not bedafed for your innocence." Chaucer: C. T., 9,067. * bě-daffed, pa . par . [BEDAFF.] *bě-daf-fing, pr . par . [BEDAFF.]