Meaning & use
bedding
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Meanings
noununcountable
the sheets, covers, and other cloth items you put on a bed
Grammar: No plural and no 'a' before it: buy new bedding, not 'a new bedding'.
Patterns
- new bedding
- a set of bedding
- change the bedding
We washed all the bedding after the guests left.
She bought fresh bedding for the children's room.
The hotel changes the bedding every day.
noununcountable
dry material such as straw or wood shavings spread on the floor for animals to rest on
Grammar: Also uncountable; common on farms and in pet care.
Patterns
- straw bedding
- clean bedding for the animals
- put down bedding
The farmer put fresh bedding in the horse's stall.
Hamsters need clean bedding in their cage.
We use wood shavings as bedding for the rabbits.
Common combinations
- bedding plants
- They planted colorful bedding plants along the path.
- bedding set
- This bedding set includes a duvet cover and two pillowcases.
- change the bedding
- I change the bedding once a week.
- clean bedding
- The nurse brought clean bedding for the patient.
Synonyms and how they differ
- linens
- Linens usually means sheets, towels, and tablecloths together, while bedding is only the covers for a bed.
- bedclothes
- Bedclothes is a slightly old-fashioned word for the sheets and blankets on a bed.
Word family
- bed noun
- the piece of furniture you sleep on
- bedded adjective
- having a particular type of bed or bedding, as in 'softly bedded'
Commonly confused: bedding or bedding?
bedding vs bedding
Do not confuse with 'bedding' as a verb form of 'bed' meaning to fix firmly; that use is rare.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Bedding' is uncountable, so 'some bedding' is correct. 'A bedding' and 'beddings' are wrong because uncountable nouns do not take 'a' or a plural -s.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bedding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.