childbed
UK[ˈtʃaɪldbed]US[ˈtʃaɪldbed]
n
The condition of a woman who is giving birth or has just given birth; childbirth.
Morpheme Breakdown
child
bed
child
bed
Etymology
The word 'childbed' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements. 'Child' originates from the Old English 'cild', a term of Germanic origin whose precise earlier history is uncertain. 'Bed' derives from the Old English 'bedd', from Proto-Germanic badją, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root bʰedʰ- meaning 'to dig', a sense which evolved into 'sleeping place' or 'garden plot'. The compound 'childbed' emerged in Middle English, constructing its meaning literally as "the bed for childbirth." It reflects a time when childbirth was intimately associated with the bed as the place of delivery and subsequent recovery, thus the term came to signify the state or period of parturition itself.
Analysis
Structure: child + bed
child: From Old English 'cild', meaning a young human being, a fetus, or an infant. In this compound, it signifies the offspring being born.
bed: From Old English 'bedd', meaning a piece of furniture for sleeping or resting. In this compound, it metaphorically refers to the place or state of confinement associated with childbirth.
Examples
The midwife stayed with the mother throughout her childbed.
In earlier centuries, fever was a common and dangerous complication of childbed.
She made a swift recovery after childbed and was soon back to her daily activities.