bed down

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Verb

bed down

1. (intransitive) To lie down to sleep for the night, usually of livestock or machinery.
   • 2006, Temple Grandin, Jennifer Lanier and Mark Deesing, Low Stress Methods for Moving and Herding Cattle on Pastures, Paddocks and Large Feedlot Pens, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University

     The herd will tend to stay where the calves bed down.

   • 2004, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Spell

     Through the woods, and frosted moors

     Past the snow-caked hedgerows I

     Bed down upon the drifting snow

     Sleep beneath the melting sky.

2. (transitive) To put an animal to rest for the night.

   • "We'll bed down the cattle and head into town."

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