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bedlam - 7 dictionary results
bed⋅lam
[bed-luh
m] 
–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
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.
1. disorder, tumult, chaos, clamor, turmoil, commotion, pandemonium.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To bedlam
| bed·lam (běd'ləm) n.
[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.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Bedlam
Bed"lam\, n. [See Bethlehem.]1. A place appropriated to the confinement and care of the insane; a madhouse. --Abp. Tillotson. 2. An insane person; a lunatic; a madman. [Obs.] Let's get the bedlam to lead him. --Shak. 3. Any place where uproar and confusion prevail.Bedlam
Bed"lam\, a. Belonging to, or fit for, a madhouse. "The bedlam, brainsick duchess." --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : bedlam
Spanish:
manicomio, gallinero,
German:
das Tollhaus,
Japanese:
大混乱
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
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Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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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.
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