Bed warmer

Bed warmer

A bed warmer was a common household item in cold countries, especially Northern Europe. It consisted of a metal container, usually fitted with a handle and shaped somewhat like a modern frying pan, with a solid or finely perforated lid. The pan would be filled with hot coals and placed under the covers of a bed, to warm it up and/or dry it out before use.

After the invention of rubber, the classical bed warmer was largely supplanted by the hot water bottle, which is still widely used. In the late 20th century, electric blankets and then the electric bed warmer were invented to fulfill the same need.

The term is also commonly used in the United Kingdom and Australia for a temporary sexual partner, or a relationship of neccessity.

External links

* [http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/library/historical/artifacts/caricatures/en3-debtors.cfm 19th Century Medical Caricatures] . A detail in the upper right corner of the third caricature shows a bed warmer being used as a weapon.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • bed-warmer — bedˈ warmer noun A warming pan • • • Main Entry: ↑bed …   Useful english dictionary

  • bed warmer — noun Date: 1839 a covered pan containing hot coals used to warm a bed …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bed-warmer — noun a long handled metal pan filled with warm coals, formerly used for warming a bed …   English new terms dictionary

  • bed warmer — noun : a covered pan containing hot coals used to warm a bed …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bed sheet — A blue bed sheet A bed sheet is a piece of cloth used to cover a mattress. It is this sheet that one typically lies on. In many areas of the world, a second flat bed sheet is laid on top of the sheet covering the mattress. This is known as a top… …   Wikipedia

  • Bunk bed — A bunk bed Bunks of aircraft carrier Clemenceau …   Wikipedia

  • Infant bed — An infant bed (commonly referred to as a crib in English (or a far less commonly as a cradle or stock) in American English) is a small bed specifically for infants and very young children, generally up to 3 years old. Infant beds are most common… …   Wikipedia

  • Murphy bed — A Murphy Bed (a North American term only), also called a wall bed, pull down bed or fold down bed is a bed that is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall, or inside a closet or cabinet. To achieve this, the mattress is attached to …   Wikipedia

  • Box-bed — in Austria A box bed (or closed bed, close bed, enclosed bed) is a bed enclosed in furniture that looks like a cupboard, half opened or not. The box bed is closed on all sides by panels of wood. One enters it by removing curtains, opening a door… …   Wikipedia

  • Couch bed — A couch unfolded into a bed A couch bed is a couch that unfolds into a bed. Commonly known as a Hideabed, pullout couch, sofa bed, or sleeper sofa. There are many variations, such as bunk beds with couches on the bottom bunk and half couches …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”