cot
B1Informal, Everyday
Definition
Meaning
A small bed with high sides for a baby or young child.
1. (US) A simple, often narrow, portable bed for an adult. 2. (UK, regional) A simple cottage or small shelter for animals. 3. (Technical) A protective sheath or covering, especially in biology (e.g., finger cot).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The primary meaning diverges significantly between UK and US English. The 'baby bed' meaning is standard in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, while in the US it is primarily an 'adult camp bed'. The baby bed equivalent in US English is 'crib'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In BrE, 'cot' exclusively refers to a baby's bed. In AmE, it primarily refers to a portable or simple foldable bed for an adult, such as used in camping, while 'crib' is used for the baby's bed.
Connotations
BrE: Associated with infancy, childcare, domesticity. AmE: Associated with camping, military use, temporary accommodation, or basic shelter.
Frequency
High frequency in family/childcare contexts in BrE. Medium frequency in outdoor/recreation contexts in AmE. The word is less common in everyday US conversation than 'crib'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Verb] + cot: assemble/set up/fold the cot[Adjective] + cot: fold-up/portable/narrow cotcot + [Prepositional Phrase]: cot for the baby/cot in the nurseryVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cot death (BrE: SIDS)”
- “from cradle to grave”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in retail for furniture/children's products.
Academic
Rare, except in specific fields (e.g., medical 'cot death').
Everyday
Very common in childcare (BrE) and camping contexts (AmE).
Technical
Used in biology ('finger cot' for protection) or historical texts ('shepherd's cot').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (obsolete/regional) To cote, meaning to pass by, or to cover.
American English
- (obsolete/regional) To cote, meaning to pass by, or to cover.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The baby is sleeping in her cot.
- We have a small cot in the guest room.
- We need to buy a new cot mattress before the baby arrives.
- At summer camp, we slept on cots in the cabin.
- The travel cot folds down compactly, making it ideal for weekends away.
- Emergency shelters were lined with rows of basic metal cots for the displaced families.
- The historical text described a shepherd spending the night in a humble stone cot on the hillside.
- In the lab, they wore finger cots to prevent contamination of the samples.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a baby's COT as a small, COnTained space. Or, remember the transatlantic switch: in the UK, a COT is for a tot; in the US, it's for a GI on a plot.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR SAFETY (baby cot), SIMPLICITY/IMPERMANENCE (camp cot).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить BrE 'cot' (детская кроватка) как 'кот'. Аналог - 'детская кроватка'.
- AmE 'cot' (раскладушка) переводится как 'раскладушка', 'походная кровать'.
- Избегать прямой подстановки русского слова 'кот' (cat).
Common Mistakes
- BrE speaker in US asking for a 'cot' for their baby and receiving a camp bed.
- Confusing 'cot' (bed) with 'coat' (clothing) in listening.
- Using 'cot' (baby) in AmE instead of 'crib'.
Practice
Quiz
A British parent is talking to an American friend. They say, 'We just bought a lovely new wooden cot for the nursery.' What is the MOST LIKELY reaction from the American friend?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In the UK, a cot is a baby's bed. In the US, a cot is a simple, often foldable bed for an adult (a camp bed). The US equivalent for a baby's bed is a 'crib'.
Yes, it is a common, everyday word, but its specific meaning and frequency depend heavily on the variety of English and context (family vs. outdoor activities).
'Cot death' is the British English term for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The American English equivalent term is 'crib death'.
In modern English, 'cot' is almost never used as a verb. Historically, it existed as 'cote' (to overtake, to cover) but this is now obsolete or dialectal.
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