feather bed

noun

a mattress stuffed with feathers

• Syn: ↑featherbed

• Hypernyms: ↑mattress

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noun

Etymology: Middle English fetherbed, from fether feather + bed (I) — more at feather

1.

a. : a feather mattress

b. : a bed having a feather mattress

2. : a markedly easy and comfortable state or position : sinecure

3. : a bed often formed in pools and shallow lakes by the crowded growth of stoneworts; also : a stonewort of the genus Chara

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a mattress or a bed cover, as a quilt, stuffed with soft feathers.

[bef. 1000; ME, OE]

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feather bed noun

A mattress filled with feathers or down

• • •

Main Entry: ↑feather

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feath|er|bed «FEHTH uhr _BEHD», verb, -bed|ded, -bed|ding, noun.

–v.i.

to practice featherbedding.

–v.t.

1. to arrange (work) under conditions of featherbedding.

2. to employ (workers) in addition to those needed: »

... results in such frequent job changes that production is disrupted and laid-off employes often must be featherbedded (Wall Street Journal).

–n.

the practice or condition of featherbedding: »

They [railroad unions] cannot call an immediate strike to bring back the featherbed (New York Times).

–feath´er|bed´der, noun.

feather bed,

1. a soft, warm mattress, quilt, or bedcovering stuffed with feathers.

2. a bed with such a mattress.

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noun, pl ⋯ beds [count]

: a bed with a mattress that is filled with feathers