bedclothes
Sheets, blankets, and covers on a bed.
Also called bedding.
Updated September 21, 2026
bedclothes pronunciation
/BED-klohz/
Meaning
The fabric layers you sleep under. Not pajamas (those are nightclothes). In older and rural talk, bedclothes is the ordinary household word for bedding.
How folks use it
- “Pull the bedclothes up. It is airish tonight.”
- “Wash the bedclothes after company leaves.”
Origin and etymology
Straightforward compound of bed and clothes, long used in English for bedding. Still natural in Southern and Appalachian household speech.