Bedposts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A vertical support structure at the corners of a bed frame, providing stability and often serving as decorative elements
2. Tall, upright columns located at the head and foot of a bed, often part of the overall design and aesthetic of the bedroom
3. Structural components that hold the bed frame together, typically added for stylistic purposes or to accommodate canopies and curtains

Etymology: "Bedposts" is the plural of "bedpost", a compound of "bed" and "post". "Bed" comes from Old English "bedd", a word shared across Germanic languages for a place to sleep, and "post" comes from Latin "postis", meaning a doorpost or upright support, which passed into Old English early and gave the word its sense of a stout upright timber. Put together, a bedpost is simply the upright timber at a bed's corner. The compound is transparent: it names the post that belongs to a bed, with no figurative leap needed. The plural simply counts the four corner supports of a standard four-poster, which is why the word so often appears in the plural, as in the phrase "bedposts" describing carved or turned wood that stands at each corner of the frame.

Synonyms: posts, pillars, supports, columns