1. Bedclothes.
2. Material, especially straw, on which animals sleep.
3. A bottom layer; a foundation.
4. Geology. Stratification of rocks into beds.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.