bed down
verb1
To lie down to sleep for the night, usually of livestock or machinery, or of people when sleeping somewhere worse than normal, often camping or in prison.
- 2006, Temple Grandin, Jennifer Lanier and Mark Deesing, Low Stress Methods for Moving and Herding Cattle on Pastures, Paddocks and Large Feedlot Pens, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University The herd will tend to stay where the calves bed down.
- Through the woods, and frosted moors Past the snow-caked hedgerows I Bed down upon the drifting snow Sleep beneath the melting sky.2004, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Spell:
2 more examples
- The horses will bed down once they get in the stable.
- The tent was an uncomfortable place to bed down.
2
To put an animal to rest for the night.
- We'll bed down the cattle and head into town.
3
To sleep with or sleep alongside (a person or pet).
- Who has she been bedding down with?
4
Ambitransitive, Figuratively To or become make permanent, fixed or wedded to a particular setup, way of thinking, style or manner.
- A habit can easily become bedded down.
- The new batch of employees soon bedded down.