waterbed

[ waw-ter-bed, wot-er- ]

noun

1. a bed having a liquid-filled rubber or plastic mattress in a rigid, often heated, waterproof frame, and providing a surface that conforms to the sleeper's body in any position.

Word History and Origins

Origin of waterbed¹

First recorded in 1835–45; water + bed

Example Sentences

“I tell people I have a waterbed, and everyone laughs,” says Gerrish, 78, a financial planner with white curly hair and manicured lavender nails.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, these waterbed enthusiasts scour the internet for replacement mattresses, heaters and water treatment systems, determined to resist sleeping on standard mattresses — what they call “dead beds” — for as long as they can.

From Los Angeles Times

“I think to myself if I ever have to go into a home, they won’t give me no waterbed.”

From Los Angeles Times

His prototype was featured in a show called “Happy Happenings” at the San Francisco Cannery art gallery that summer and articles about a new-fangled waterbed soon were appearing in newspapers and magazines across the country.

From Los Angeles Times

Hall received a patent for his invention in 1971 but rarely enforced it, and young entrepreneurs quickly turned the waterbed business into a lucrative industry.

From Los Angeles Times