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bed linen

bed linen

4 1.0
Items like sheets and pillowcases that you put on a bed
  • noun
  • /bɛd ˈlɪnən/
translation icon : ropa de cama
  • The hotel provided fresh bed linen and fluffy towels for all the guests.
  • cotton bed linen
  • wash bed linens
  • change the bed linen

And they saw, Oh my God, there is a black man sleeping in the White House eating off the China and in the bed linens.

Examples

  • Bed linens were bed linens, in need of washing like everything else.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • But her wardrobe was full of bed linen, sheets and pillowcases, and old blankets.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Still others lost their bed linen.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Your last guest stole the bed linen.

  • My bed linen is changed weekly by someone other than me.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • In our laundry, they are not simply clothes and bed linen.

  • - That's where I keep my towels, and bed linen.

  • Can you achieve a transformation by changing the bed linens, putting up inexpensive curtains, or adding a few interesting accessories?

    Blog text (29)
  • With firm hands, Anya smoothed the bed linens before climbing between the sheets.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Our ECW has been very busy readying Dove Cottage for your stay at Whitecap, and all you need to bring is bed linens for the two bedrooms, as we discussed, and any towels and pillows that will make you feel at home.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

bedding
vsbed linen
14 1.0

Sheets and blankets that you put on a bed

is narrower and names mainly fabric items rather than all coverings
bed clothing
vsbed linen
1 1.8

Sheets, blankets, and pillowcases that cover a bed

focuses on fabric items used for sleeping rather than all coverings
bedclothes
vsbed linen
2.5

Items that cover a bed, like sheets and blankets

refers more to fabric items for sleeping rather than general coverings
tyken
vsbed linen
  • Archaic
9.9

A thick bed covering filled with straw to keep you warm

is the modern neutral term while this is archaic regional language

How Soft

flannel
36 3.6
sateen
1 7.4
bed linen
4 1.0
bed sheet
15 1.0

Surface Forms

bed linen singular
bed linens plural

Morphology

bed + linen

The meaning 'sheets, pillowcases, and other fabric items used for a bed' is directly derivable from combining 'bed' (piece of furniture for sleeping) with 'linen' (cloth), i.e. linen for a bed. This simple noun+noun compound follows a common compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Bed linen is a simple name that joins bed and linen, where bed is the place you sleep and linen is a strong cloth once used for 'sheets' and pillowcases. The image is a bed covered in that cloth, so the phrase means the sheets, pillowcases and other fabric used on a bed.