A cord or rope that is used to support a mattress within a bed frame, running across to hold the mattress in place.
From bed + string. 'String' comes from Old Norse 'strengr'. Before springs and slats became standard, bedstrings were literally woven ropes that supported the mattress weight—they needed constant tightening.
The phrase 'tightening the bedstrings' was an actual household chore—over time, ropes would sag and stretch, so people needed special keys to wind them tighter, similar to how guitar strings work.
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