deathbed

The story

1. Old English · inherited fromdēaþbedd“deathbed; grave”
2. Middle English · inherited fromdethbed
3. English todaydeathbed

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”).