FEATHERBED (featherbedded, featherbedding)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: featherbedded    , featherbedding   

 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 

• FEATHERBED (noun)

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)

• FEATHERBED (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they featherbed    ... he / she / it featherbeds   
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)