bed down

present singular third person beds down · participle present bedding down · participle past bedded down · past bedded down

1. intransitiveTo lie down to sleep for the night, usually of livestock or machinery, or of people when sleeping somewhere worse than normal, often camping or in prison.

   The tent was an uncomfortable place to bed down.

   3 more examples

   2006, Temple Grandin, Jennifer Lanier and Mark Deesing, Low Stress Methods for Moving and Herding Cattle on Pastures, Paddocks and Large Feedlot Pens, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University The herd will tend to stay where the calves bed down.

   Through the woods, and frosted moors Past the snow-caked hedgerows I Bed down upon the drifting snow Sleep beneath the melting sky.

   2004, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Spell

   The horses will bed down once they get in the stable.

2. transitiveTo put an animal to rest for the night.

   We'll bed down the cattle and head into town.

3. transitiveTo sleep with or sleep alongside (a person or pet).

   Who has she been bedding down with?

4. ambitransitivefigurativelyTo make or become permanent, fixed or wedded to a particular setup, way of thinking, style or manner.

   A habit can easily become bedded down.

   1 more example

   The new batch of employees soon bedded down.