English Dictionary |
FEATHERBED (featherbedded, featherbedding)
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
IPA (US): |
Dictionary entry overview: What does featherbed mean?
• FEATHERBED (noun)
The noun FEATHERBED has 1 sense:
1. a mattress stuffed with feathers
Familiarity information: FEATHERBED used as a noun is very rare.
• FEATHERBED (verb)
The verb FEATHERBED has 2 senses:
1. treat with excessive indulgence
2. hire more workers than are necessary
Familiarity information: FEATHERBED used as a verb is rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
A mattress stuffed with feathers
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Synonyms:
feather bed; featherbed
Hypernyms ("featherbed" is a kind of...):
mattress (a large thick pad filled with resilient material and often incorporating coiled springs, used as a bed or part of a bed)
Conjugation: |
Past simple: featherbedded
Past participle: featherbedded
-ing form: featherbedding
Sense 1
Meaning:
Treat with excessive indulgence
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
baby; cocker; coddle; cosset; featherbed; indulge; mollycoddle; pamper; spoil
Context example:
Let's not mollycoddle our students!
Hypernyms (to "featherbed" is one way to...):
do by; handle; treat (interact in a certain way)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
Sense 2
Meaning:
Hire more workers than are necessary
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "featherbed" is one way to...):
employ; engage; hire (engage or hire for work)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Context examples
She caught endless colds sitting on damp grass to book 'a delicious bit', composed of a stone, a stump, one mushroom, and a broken mullein stalk, or 'a heavenly mass of clouds', that looked like a choice display of featherbeds when done.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
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