marital bed
Noun: - The relationship between wife and husband: Specifically refers to the intimate, conjugal bond and shared life of a married couple, often implying the physical and emotional union within marriage.
The term "marital bed" is a formal and somewhat literary noun phrase. It is used to describe the core, intimate relationship of a married couple, encompassing their shared private life, commitment, and union. It is often used in legal, sociological, or formal contexts.
- The scandal threatened the sanctity of their marital bed.
- The couple sought counseling to restore trust and intimacy to their marital bed.
- A third party's interference can violate the marital bed.
- "To defile/violate the marital bed": A formal expression meaning to commit adultery or to betray the marital relationship through infidelity.
- The accusation was that he had violated the marital bed.
- Marital (adj): Of or relating to marriage.
- They were having marital difficulties.
- Conjugal (adj): Related to marriage or the relationship between spouses.
- They were allowed conjugal visits.
- Conjugal relationship: The relationship between married partners.
- Wedlock: The state of being married (more general, not specifically intimate).
This term is a fixed compound noun. It is a metaphorical use, where "bed" symbolizes the private, intimate sphere of married life, not solely the physical object. It is distinct from the literal phrase "marital bed" (the physical bed a couple shares), though the concepts are closely linked. The definition provided focuses on the relational meaning.
- the relationship between wife and husband