bedlam

bedlam
\ \ [15] The word bedlam is a contraction of Bethlehem. It comes from the Hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem founded in 1247 by Simon FitzMary, Sheriff of London, as the Priory of St Mary Bethlehem. Situated outside Bishopsgate, in the City of London, the hospital began to admit mental patients in the late 14th century. In the 16th century it officially became a lunatic asylum. The word bedlam came to be used for any ‘madhouse’, and by extension for a ‘scene of noisy confusion’, in the 17th century.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Bedlam — is the former name of Bethlem Royal Hospital, one of the first psychiatric hospitals in Western Europe.Bedlam may also refer to:*Bedlam, North Yorkshire, a village in England *Bedlam, Shropshire, a small hamlet near Bitterley in Shropshire,… …   Wikipedia

  • Bedlam — • A London hospital originally intended for the poor suffering from any ailment and for such as might have no other lodging, hence its name, Bethlehem, in Hebrew, the house of bread. Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Bedlam     Be …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Bedlam — Bed lam, a. Belonging to, or fit for, a madhouse. The bedlam, brainsick duchess. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bedlam — Bed lam, n. [See {Bethlehem}.] 1. A place appropriated to the confinement and care of the insane; a madhouse. Abp. Tillotson. [1913 Webster] 2. An insane person; a lunatic; a madman. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Let s get the bedlam to lead him. Shak.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bedlam — bezeichnet ein englisches Synonym für Chaos oder Wahnsinn, abgeleitet von dem Namen der Londoner psychiatrischen Klinik Bethlem Royal Hospital einen Horrorfilm aus dem Jahre 1946 mit Boris Karloff, siehe Bedlam (Film) ein kurzlebiges Bandprojekt… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bedlam —    Drame de Mark Robson, avec Boris Karloff, Anna Lee, Ian Wolf.   Pays: États Unis   Date de sortie: 1947   Technique: noir et blanc   Durée: 1 h 20    Résumé    Au XVIIIe siècle, une demi mondaine réussit à briser la tyrannie scandaleuse du… …   Dictionnaire mondial des Films

  • bedlam — [bed′ləm] n. [ME Bedlam, Bethlem, var. of BETHLEHEM] 1. [B ] an old insane asylum (in full, St. Mary of Bethlehem), later a hospital for the mentally ill, in London 2. Archaic any insane asylum 3. any place or condition of noise and confusion …   English World dictionary

  • Bedlam — (Bedlem), 1) Irrenhaus in London daher 2) überhaupt Tollhaus …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Bedlam — (spr. béddläm, korrumpiert aus Bethlehem), Name des berühmten Irrenhauses in London (St. George s Fields), das 1547 aus einer Propstei »Unsers Herrn von Bethlehem« (1246 gegründet) entstand, die von Heinrich VIII. bei Aufhebung det Klöster der… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Bedlam — (spr. béddlämm, aus »Bethlehem«), Irrenhaus in London; Bedlamit, Tollhäusler …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Bedlam — (spr. Beddlämm) oder Bethlehem Hospital, ein großes Irrenhaus in London, daher Bedlamit soviel als Wahnsinniger …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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