Small, lightweight portable beds, usually made of canvas or fabric stretched over a metal or wooden frame, often used for camping or temporary sleeping.
From Hindi 'khāt,' a bedstead or couch. The word entered English through British colonial contact in India during the 17th century, becoming 'cot' and used for similar portable sleeping furniture.
The cot is the ancestor of the modern camping bed—British soldiers in India loved them so much they brought the design back to Europe, where it became essential military equipment for centuries.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.