Bedmate

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛdˌmeɪt/

Definitions

1. A person who shares a bed with another, highlighting a bond or companionship
2. An individual who shares sleeping quarters with another, indicating a level of intimacy or personal relationship
3. Someone who sleeps in the same bed as another person, often indicating closeness or relationship

Etymology: "Bedmate" is a plain compound: "bed" joined to "-mate," and the second part carries most of the interest. "Mate" comes from Old English "gemetta," and the "ge-" prefix was dropped over the centuries. Its earliest sense was a companion or fellow, someone you shared a meal or a daily life with, and the idea of sharing a bed came from that broader meaning of shared living. The "-mate" element is the same one found in "classmate," "roommate," and "shipmate." It descends from a Germanic word for a table companion, which fits the older sense of people who ate together. Partners who slept together were, in effect, sharing the most intimate part of daily life, so "bedmate" simply attaches the bed to that old idea of companionship.

Synonyms: partner, companion, roommate, cohabitant, associate