capezzale

bedside; deathbed

noun kah-pet-TSAH-leh Rare

Origin: From Latin caput (head) + -ale, literally 'head of the bed'.

Also means

bolster (pillow)

Usage Note

Capezzale has two related meanings: literally a long bolster pillow placed at the head of a bed, and figuratively the space beside a dying or gravely ill person's bed. The figurative sense (al capezzale del malato — at the bedside of the sick) is far more common in modern Italian and appears often in news reports of political figures or celebrities who are gravely ill.

Examples

"Tutta la famiglia era al suo capezzale."

Natural Translation

The whole family was at his bedside.

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