Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, portable bed: A cot is a simple, often narrow bed that can be folded for easy storage or transport. It is typically used for temporary sleeping arrangements.
   • A child's bed with high sides: A cot (also called a crib in American English) is a small bed for a baby or young child, enclosed by high sides made of bars or slats to prevent the child from falling out.
   • A protective sheath: A cot is a covering, often made of leather, worn on a finger to protect it, especially while sewing.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Portable bed):
  • We set up a cot in the guest room for our visitor.
  • The soldiers slept on cots in the barracks.
• Noun (Child's bed):
  • The baby is sleeping peacefully in her cot.
  • They bought a new wooden cot for the nursery.
• Noun (Finger sheath):
  • The tailor wore a leather cot on his finger to push the needle through thick fabric.

Advanced Usage

• "To be confined to a cot": To be bedridden or restricted to a small bed, often due to illness or infirmity.
  • After the surgery, he was confined to a cot for several days.

Variants and Related Words

• Camp cot (n): A specific type of portable bed designed for camping.
  • We packed the camp cots for our weekend trip.
• Cot death (n): A term, chiefly British, for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
  • Research aims to understand the causes of cot death.

Synonyms

• Crib: (chiefly US) A child's bed with high sides.
• Camp bed: A portable, folding bed.
• Thimble: A small protective cap for the finger (though a is typically a hard cap, while a is often a soft sheath).
• Bunk: A simple bed, often one of a pair stacked vertically.

Related Phrases

• Fold-up cot: A cot designed to be folded into a compact shape.
  • The fold-up cot is perfect for small apartments.

Related Idioms

• Not a wink of sleep/couldn't sleep a wink: Often used humorously in contexts involving an uncomfortable cot.
  • I was on that old army cot all night and didn't sleep a wink.

Noun

1. a small bed that folds up for storage or transport
2. baby bed with high sides made of slats
3. a sheath worn to protect a finger