bed Piece of furniture on which a person may recline or sleep. Beds of simple construction appear in medi¬ eval manuscripts, as do more deco¬ rative beds with carving and inlay, embroidered coverlets, and elaborate hangings. The canopy, or tester, was introduced in the 15th century. In the 1820s the development of coiled springs fitted into mattresses revolu¬ tionized the bed. In the Middle East beds consisted of rugs piled up on the floor. In China raised and cano¬ pied beds were used 2,000 years ago.
The traditional Japanese bed (futon) consists of quilted padding and a coverlet arranged on the floor.
bedbug Any member of approxi¬ mately 75 species of nocturnal insects (family Cimicidae) that feed by sucking the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. The reddish brown adult is broad and flat and less than 0.2 in. (4-5 mm) long.
Among the most cosmopolitan of human parasites, they are found in every kind of dwelling. They digest meals slowly; adults have lived for at least a year without food. Though the bite is irritating, it is not known to transmit diseases to humans.
bedding plant Plant that is grown, usually in quantity, in pots or flats in a greenhouse or similar struc¬ ture, and that is intended to be trans¬ planted to a flower garden, hanging
basket, window box, or other outdoor planter. Most bedding plants are annuals. They are transplanted outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Some important bedding plants are impatiens, marigolds, and petunias.
Bede, Saint' known as the Venerable Bede (b. 672/673, tradition¬ ally Monkton in Jarrow, Northumbria [Eng.]—d. May 25, 735, Jarrow; feast day May 25) Anglo-Saxon theologian, historian, and chronologist. Raised in a monastery, he was ordained a priest at age 30. He is best known for his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (732?), trac¬ ing Britain’s history from 55 bc to ad 597, a source vital to the history of the conversion to Christianity of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. His method of dating events from the time of Christ’s birth (ad) came into general use through the popularity of the Historia ecclesiastica and two works on chronology.
Bedford City (pop., 1995 est.: 81,000), southeast-central England. The administrative seat of Bedfordshire, it lies on the River Ouse northwest of London. It was a Roman fording station and a Saxon town. It was recap¬ tured by the Anglo-Saxons from the Danes in 914. John Bunyan is thought to have written A Pilgrim’s Progress while imprisoned there in the 17th century.
Bedfordshire Vbed-ford-.shhA Administrative (pop., 2001: 381,571), geographic, and historic county, southeast-central England. Much of the county is occupied by the River Ouse valley; its capital is Bedford. Settled c. 1800 bc by the Beaker culture, the valley was resettled by the Romans in the 1 st—5th centuries ad. First mentioned as a political unit in 1010, the county has survived virtually unchanged within its present boundaries. Its architectural masterpiece is Woburn Abbey, seat of the dukes of Bedford.
Bedlington terrier Breed of dog. It was developed in the 19th cen¬ tury in Northumberland, Eng., and named for Bedlingtonshire, a mining district in the area. Initially estab¬ lished as a fighting dog and hunter of vermin, the breed later became a popular pet. Lamblike in appearance, it has an arched back, a topknot, and a thick, curly coat that is blue-gray, deep reddish brown, or pale sandy, often with tan markings. The breed stands 15-16 in. (38-40 cm) tall and weighs 22-24 lbs. (10-11 kg).
Bedouin \'bed-win\ Any member of a community of Arabic-speaking desert nomads of the Middle East.
Ethnically, the Bedouin are identical to other Arabs. Bedouin traditionally have made their living by animal husbandry, and social rank among them is determined by the animals that they herd: camel nomads enjoy the greatest status, followed by sheep and goat herders and, finally, cattle nomads. Traditionally, Bedouin would migrate into the desert during the rainy season and return to culti¬ vated areas during the dry season, but since World War II (1939—45) the governments of many countries have nationalized their range lands, and conflicts over land use have arisen.
Many Bedouin have since adopted sedentary ways of life; most, how¬ ever, retain pride in their nomadic heritage.
bedstraw Any low perennial her¬ baceous plant of the genus Galium, in the madder family, found in damp woods and swamps and along stream banks and shores. Bedstraws bear finely toothed, often needle-shaped leaves in whorls of four to eight; clus¬ ters of small green, yellow, or white flowers; and fruit composed of two rounded nuts joined together. Northern bedstraw (G. boreale ), marsh bed- straw (G. palustre), and goosegrass (G. aparine) are common throughout Europe and have become naturalized in parts of North America. Sweet
Great Bed of Ware, carved, inlaid, and painted wood, English, late 16th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
COURTESY OF THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON, CROWN COPYRIGHT RESERVED
Bedbug (Cimex lectularius) magnified 5 x
WILLIAM E. FERGUSON
Bedlington terrier
SALLY ANNE THOMPSON/EB INC.
Bedouin with a young goat in central Qatar
M. ERICSON/OSTMAN AGENCY
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
188 I bee ► Beer Hall Putsch
woodruff (G. odoratum ) smells like freshly mown HAY; its dried shoots are used in perfumes, sachets, and beverages. The roots of several spe¬ cies yield a red dye.
bee Any of some 20,000 insect species belonging to the superfamily Apoidea (order Hymenoptera), including the familiar bumblebee.
Adults range in size from about 0.08 to 1.6 in. (2 mm-4 cm). Bees are related to wasps, but, unlike wasps, which can eat other insects, most bees are entirely dependent on flow¬ ers for their food. Male bees are usu¬ ally short-lived and never collect pollen; female bees make and provi¬ sion the nest and usually have spe¬ cial anatomical structures for carrying pollen. Most species are solitary. The so-called killer bee, an Africanized subspecies of Apis mel- lifera (see honeybee), reached the U.S. from Mexico c. 1990; killer bees react quickly and attack in number. See also Karl von Frisch.
bee balm Any of 12 North American annual or perennial plants in the genus Monarda, variously known as bergamot, horsemint, and bee balm. They belong to the mint family and have showy flowers. Wild bergamot (M fistulosa ) has a minty aroma. The more sharply scented Oswego tea (M didyma ; a bergamot variety) is native to eastern North America but is widely cultivated elsewhere.
beech Any of several different types of trees, especially about 10 spe¬ cies of deciduous ornamental and timber trees constituting the genus Fagus (family Fagaceae), native to temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. About 40 species of superficially similar trees, known as false beech (genus Nothofagus), are native to cooler regions of the Southern Hemisphere. A beech of the family Fagaceae is tall, round- headed, and wide-spreading, with smooth, steel-gray bark and toothed, shiny green leaves. The American beech {F. grandifolia), native to east¬ ern North America, and the European beech {F. sylvatica ), found through¬ out England and Eurasia, are the most widely known species. Both are economically important timber trees, often planted as ornamentals. Beech wood is durable under water and is valued for indoor use, tool handles, and shipping containers. The nuts provide forage for game animals, are used in fattening poultry, and yield an edible oil. Beeches are slow- growing and may live 400 years or more.
Beecham, Sir Thomas (b. April 29, 1879, St. Helens, Lancashire, Eng.—d. March 8, 1961, London) British conductor. He was born to an aristocratic family and was self-taught as a conductor. Devoted to broad¬ ening British musical tastes, he created the Beecham Symphony Orches¬ tra in 1909. In 1932 he founded the London Philharmonic Orchestra and in 1947 the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; he also founded opera com¬ panies. Though he had significant gaps in his technique, he was an incom¬ parable interpreter of the music he loved, especially that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; of his contemporaries, he particularly championed Rich¬ ard Strauss and Frederick Delius.