featherbed

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled feather-bed

US /ˈfɛðɚˌbɛd/ UK /ˈfeðəˌbed/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to pamper, or to overstaff a job by enforcing wasteful labor practices

The union was accused of featherbedding the rail crews.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to pamper, or to overstaff... pamper coddle indulge mollycoddle cosset spoil

Word family

Derived forms featherbedding

Related forms feather bed

Etymology

A compound of 'feather' + 'bed' (originally a mattress stuffed with feathers); the figurative verb sense developed via the notion of cushioning or pampering. 'Feather' is from Old English 'feþer', 'bed' from Old English 'bedd'.

feþer Old English bedd Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# featherbed

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈfɛðɚˌbɛd/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfeðəˌbed/

## Meanings
1. to pamper, or to overstaff a job by enforcing wasteful labor practices

## Examples
- The union was accused of featherbedding the rail crews.

## Synonyms
- pamper
- coddle
- indulge
- mollycoddle
- cosset
- spoil

## Derived Forms
- featherbedding

## Related Forms
- feather
- bed

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: feþer
- Root: bedd

## Etymology
A compound of 'feather' + 'bed' (originally a mattress stuffed with feathers); the figurative verb sense developed via the notion of cushioning or pampering. 'Feather' is from Old English 'feþer', 'bed' from Old English 'bedd'.

## AI Etymology
Featherbed is a compound of 'feather' + 'bed' (originally a mattress stuffed with feathers); the figurative verb sense developed via the notion of cushioning or pampering. 'Feather' is from Old English 'feþer', 'bed' from Old English 'bedd'. Morphologically, the form is compositional, with the named elements combining to produce the modern spelling and sense. In present use, it is used as a verb and noun meaning "to pamper, or to overstaff a job by enforcing wasteful labor practices", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The wider English family includes derivatives such as featherbedding and related forms such as feather and bed, showing how the same historical material continues to organize neighboring vocabulary. The named historical forms include Old English feþer and Old English bedd, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance. Its semantic neighborhood includes pamper, coddle, indulge, and mollycoddle, locating the modern specialization without adding a new origin story.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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