Meanings
plural deathbeds · alternative death-bed · alternative death bed
- The bed on which someone dies.
He was once on his way to an old woman, who was on her death-bed and who had led a wicked life.
1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 254 - A grave; the site of a burial or entombment.
“Will you ask our oldest warriors to build me a barrow? Ask them to climb this headland and build me a death pile high on its top. Let my deathbed rise high above Hronesnesse.”
1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 47
Origin
- Old Englishdēaþbedd“deathbed; grave”
- Middle Englishdethbed
- Englishdeathbed
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans sterfbed
- sterfbedthe bed on which someone dies
Bulgarian смъ́ртно легло́
- смъ́ртно легло́ (smắrtno legló)the bed on which someone dies
Chinese Mandarin 臨終床 /临终床
- 臨終床 /临终床 (línzhōng chuáng)the bed on which someone dies
Danish dødsleje
- dødslejethe bed on which someone dies
Dutch sterfbed, doodsbed
- sterfbedthe bed on which someone dies
- doodsbedthe bed on which someone dies
Estonian surivoodi
- surivoodithe bed on which someone dies
Finnish kuolinvuode
- kuolinvuodethe bed on which someone dies
French lit de mort
- lit de mortthe bed on which someone dies
German Sterbebett, Totenbett
- Sterbebettthe bed on which someone dies
- Totenbettthe bed on which someone dies
Greek νεκροκρέβατο, νεκρική κλίνη
- νεκροκρέβατο (nekrokrévato)the bed on which someone dies
- νεκρική κλίνη (nekrikí klíni)the bed on which someone dies
Hungarian halálos ágy
- halálos ágythe bed on which someone dies
Icelandic dánarbeður, banasæng
- dánarbeðurthe bed on which someone dies
- banasængthe bed on which someone dies
- banalegathe bed on which someone dies
Irish leaba an bháis
- leaba an bháisthe bed on which someone dies
Italian letto di morte
- letto di mortethe bed on which someone dies
Japanese 死の床
- 死の床 (shi no toko)the bed on which someone dies
Norwegian Bokmål dødsleie
- dødsleiethe bed on which someone dies
Polish łoże śmierci
- łoże śmiercithe bed on which someone dies
Portuguese leito de morte
- leito de mortethe bed on which someone dies
Russian сме́ртное ло́же, сме́ртный одр
- сме́ртное ло́же (smértnoje lóže)the bed on which someone dies
- сме́ртный одр (smértnyj odr)the bed on which someone dies
Spanish lecho de muerte
- lecho de muertethe bed on which someone dies
Swedish dödsbädd
- dödsbäddthe bed on which someone dies
Tamil சாவுப்படுக்கை, மரணப்படுக்கை
- சாவுப்படுக்கை (cāvuppaṭukkai)the bed on which someone dies
- மரணப்படுக்கை (maraṇappaṭukkai)the bed on which someone dies
Turkish ölüm döşeği
- ölüm döşeğithe bed on which someone dies
Ukrainian сме́ртне ло́же
- сме́ртне ло́же (smértne lóže)the bed on which someone dies
Cite this entry
deathbed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deathbed
“deathbed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deathbed. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deathbed,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deathbed.
Source: deathbed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.