deathbed

noun

death·​bed ˈdeth-ˌbed How to pronounce deathbed (audio)
1
: the bed in which a person dies
2
: the last hours of life
Phrases
on one's deathbed
: near the point of death

Examples of deathbed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even on its deathbed, the election interference case — which Mr. Smith laid out in great detail in a filing to Judge Chutkan just last month — will probably have repercussions for decades to come. Alan Feuer, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024 Charles Gunther — the confectioner and collector who also brought Abraham Lincoln’s deathbed to the museum — acquired an 18th-century dress allegedly owned by Queen Caroline of England. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024 My grandmother understood the weight of this privilege and, on her deathbed, completed an absentee ballot in New York State. Earl Carr, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 The exhibition covers Kahlo’s entire lifetime, beginning with a photograph of her as a 4-year-old girl and ending with snapshots taken on her deathbed. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deathbed 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deathbed was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near deathbed

Cite this Entry

“Deathbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deathbed. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

deathbed

noun
death·​bed -ˌbed How to pronounce deathbed (audio)
1
: the bed in which a person dies
2
: the last hours of life

Medical Definition

deathbed

noun
death·​bed ˈdeth-ˌbed How to pronounce deathbed (audio)
1
: the bed in which a person dies
2
: the last hours of life

More from Merriam-Webster on deathbed

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