Meaning & use
rollaway bed
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Meanings
nouncountable
A narrow bed with a folding frame and wheels that can be stored away and moved easily, often used for extra guests.
Grammar: A countable noun: request a rollaway bed.
Patterns
- a rollaway bed for someone
The hotel put a rollaway bed in our room for our son.
We kept a rollaway bed in the closet for visitors.
Can I request a rollaway bed for the third guest?
nouncountable
A bed on wheels, such as one used for patients in hospitals.
Grammar: Less common sense; usually in medical or institutional settings.
The nurse pushed the rollaway bed down the corridor.
A rollaway bed was brought into the waiting area.
Staff stored the rollaway beds in the corner.
Word forms
| plural | rollaway beds |
|---|
Common combinations
- request a rollaway bed
- We requested a rollaway bed when we booked.
- rollaway bed fee
- The hotel charges a rollaway bed fee of $20.
- fold up a rollaway bed
- Fold up the rollaway bed in the morning.
- extra rollaway bed
- An extra rollaway bed fit beside the window.
- rollaway bed in the room
- There is a rollaway bed in the room for kids.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cot
- A cot is a simple narrow bed, and in American English can also mean a baby's bed.
- camp bed
- Camp bed is the British term and suggests lightweight outdoor use.
- folding bed
- Folding bed is a general term, but does not necessarily have wheels.
- air mattress
- An air mattress is inflated with air, while a rollaway bed has a metal frame.
Word family
Commonly confused: rollaway bed or roll-up mattress?
rollaway bed vs roll-up mattress
A roll-up mattress rolls up like a cylinder, while a rollaway bed folds and has wheels.
Practice
The hotel offered a ____ for our extra guest because the room had only one bed.
Choose one answer.
A rollaway bed is a folding, wheeled bed used for extra guests. A bed sheet is bedding and not a place to sleep.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rollaway bed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.