Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

bedlam

 - 5 dictionary results
Bedlam Bed Bug Spray
Kill Bed Bugs Fast With Protection That Lasts Shop Today And Save
www.BedBugSupply.com
Bedlam Bed Bugs Spray
The Same Products Pest Control Companies Use.Free Shipping
www.pestmall.com

bed⋅lam

  [bed-luhm]
Use bedlam in a Sentence
–noun
1. a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion.
2. Archaic. an insane asylum or madhouse.
Origin:
a popular name for the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem in London, which served as a lunatic asylum from ca. 1400; cf. ME Bedleem, Bethleem, OE Betleem Bethlehem

Synonyms:
1. disorder, tumult, chaos, clamor, turmoil, commotion, pandemonium.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bedlam
Bedlam Bed Bug Spray
Kill Bed Bugs Fast With Protection That Lasts Shop Today And Save
www.BedBugSupply.com
Bedlam Bed Bugs Spray
The Same Products Pest Control Companies Use.Free Shipping
www.pestmall.com
bed·lam   (běd'ləm)   
n.  

  1. A place or situation of noisy uproar and confusion.

  2. often Bedlam Archaic An insane asylum.


[Middle English Bedlem, Hospital of Saint Mary of Bethlehem, an institution in London for the mentally ill.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

bedlam 
"scene of mad confusion," 1667, from colloquial pronunciation of "Hospital of Saint Mary of Bethlehem" in London, founded 1247 as a priory, mentioned as a hospital 1330 and as a lunatic hospital 1402; converted to a state lunatic asylum on dissolution of the monasteries in 1547.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bed·lam
Pronunciation: 'bed-l&m
Function: noun
1 obsolete : MADMAN, LUNATIC
2 often capitalized : a lunatic asylum
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

Bedlam

the first asylum for the mentally ill in England. It is currently located in Beckenham, Kent. The word bedlam came to be used generically for all psychiatric hospitals and sometimes is used colloquially for an uproar.

Learn more about Bedlam with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see bedlam on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way