مَهْدٌ

[A child's cradle, or bed;] a place prepared for a child, and made plain, even, or smooth, (S, * L, K,) that he may sleep in it: (L:) a bed; a thing spread to lie, recline, or sit, upon; (A, Msb;) as also ↓ مِهَادٌ; (S, A, L, Msb, K;) so called because of its plainness, evenness, or smoothness: (L:) Az says, that the latter word is more comprehensive than the former: (L:) it is applied to the ground, or earth; [meaning a plain, an even, or a smooth expanse; see a verse of Lebeed cited voce خَوَالِقُ:] (Az, L, K:) and so is مَهْدٌ: (K:) some say, that مَهْدٌ and ↓ مِهَادٌ are [originally] two inf. ns., of the same meaning: or that the former is a verbal noun, and the latter a simple subst.: or that the former is singular, and the latter plural: (MF:) the plural of the former [in common use] is مُهُودٌ, (L, Msb, K,) and مِهَادٌ; and of the latter, [plural of pauc.,] أَمْهِدَةٌ (L, K) and [of mult.,] مُهُدٌ. (L, Msb, K.)

↓ أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا [Qur'an, 78:6,] Have we not made the earth an expanse (بِسَاط) adapted to be travelled over. (K, TA.)

↓ لَبِيءْسَ المِهَادُ [Qur'an. ii. 202,] (tropical:) Evil is that which he hath prepared for himself in his final place. (K.) Such is said to be the meaning. (TA.)

سَهْدٌ مَهْدٌ Good; goodly: the latter word is an imitative sequent. (L.)