bedtick

A bedtick covers the mattress on the bed.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A fabric case for a mattress: "bedtick" refers to the strong, tightly woven cloth casing that holds the stuffing (such as feathers, wool, or straw) of a mattress or bed. It is the outer covering that contains the filling, often used in traditional or older-style bedding.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old mattress had a torn bedtick, so the feathers started to leak out. (The fabric casing was damaged, causing the filling to escape.)
  • She sewed a new bedtick to replace the worn-out one on the feather bed. (She made a new cloth cover for the mattress.)

Advanced Usage

• "bedtick" is a specific term for the casing itself, not the entire mattress. In historical contexts, a bedtick was often filled with natural materials like straw or horsehair.
  • In colonial times, a bedtick was stuffed with straw and placed on a rope bed frame. (The fabric case was used as a simple mattress.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bedticking (n): the strong fabric used to make a bedtick.

  • The tailor bought a roll of bedticking to repair the old mattress. (The fabric specifically designed for mattress covers.)

• Tick (n): a shortened form of "bedtick", also meaning a mattress cover.

  • The tick was filled with soft goose down. (The mattress casing.)

Synonyms

• Mattress cover: a general term for a protective covering over a mattress.
• Mattress casing: the outer layer that holds the filling of a mattress.

Related Idioms

• "A bedtick of straw": a phrase used to describe a simple, rustic bed.
  • He slept on a bedtick of straw in the barn. (A humble, basic bedding arrangement.)