What does bedgown mean?
A bedgown is a loose, comfortable gown worn in bed or as informal dress within the home, particularly in the morning. The term is now largely historical: in the eighteenth century, the bedgown was not merely sleepwear but a common upper-body garment for working-class women, cut simply and often made of printed linen or cotton, and it was frequently worn outdoors as part of everyday dress. Over time, as specialized garments such as the nightgown, nightdress, and dressing gown became standard, the bedgown fell out of ordinary use, surviving chiefly in historical novels, costume collections, and scholarly writing about period clothing. Its compound formation — from 'bed' plus 'gown' — makes its meaning transparent even to readers encountering it for the first time. For modern audiences, the word carries connotations of domestic comfort, modesty, and a bygone era of household routine, which gives it charm in historical and literary contexts.
nounA loose, informal gown worn in bed or while lounging at home, especially one worn by women as morning dress. Historically, it also referred to a short jacket-like garment worn over the stays in the 18th century.
- A loose gown worn in bed or as informal morning dress.
- (Historical) A short, jacket-like upper garment worn by women, especially working-class women, in the 18th century.
"She wrapped her flannel bedgown around her shoulders and shuffled down to make tea."
"She pulled on her warm bedgown before going downstairs to let the cat out."
"The museum's costume collection includes an 18th-century printed cotton bedgown worn by a working woman."
Standard regular plural; used when referring to multiple garments, e.g. in inventories or costume collections.
"The wardrobe held several linen bedgowns, each patched from years of daily wear."
In the 18th century, the bedgown wasn't just sleepwear — working women wore it out of doors as everyday dress, making it one of history's most publicly visible 'private' garments.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bedgown
The word bedgown is a straightforward English compound of 'bed' and 'gown', formed when the noun 'gown' — borrowed into Middle English from Old French 'goune', ultimately of Romance origin — was combined with 'bed' to denote a gown associated with bedwear. It has been used in English since at least the early modern period, and by the eighteenth century it described both informal bedwear and a distinct style of short, practical jacket worn by working women. Its components tie it to the wider family of 'bed-' compounds such as bedroom and bedside, and to the garment vocabulary descended from Old French 'goune'.
How bedgown is actually used
The word is now somewhat old-fashioned and appears mainly in historical fiction, costume scholarship, and discussions of period dress. In modern usage, terms like nightgown or dressing gown have largely replaced it.
Easily confused with bedgown
A nightgown is a garment specifically designed for sleeping in, whereas a bedgown historically denoted a looser house garment that could be worn both in bed and informally about the home.
A dressing gown is worn over other clothes when lounging or after bathing, while a bedgown was traditionally a simpler garment associated with bed and early-morning wear.