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It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed.

The phrase "in the end bed" looks strange to me. I've never seen 'end' is used like that. Usually, I see "at the end of" or "in the end of". I think it's used as an adjective here, but according to the dictionaries I consulted, 'end'- when used as an adjective- means final or ultimate as in the end result, which isn't fit for this context.

What does "in the end bed" mean exactly? Is it a normal use of the word 'end'?

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Here, end is being used as an adjective.

You can contrast it with a situation when there are three beds and it's the one in between two others being discussed:

In the middle bed.

Or, in this particular case, it's the same as saying:

In the bed at the end.

You could also consider end in this case as being synonymous with last (which may make more sense to you than final or ultimate because the sentence is describing a spatial position):

In the last bed.

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  • Is this use of 'end' common?
    – dan
    Nov 30, 2018 at 8:01
  • I'd say it's normal. I frequently say and hear things like I'll take the end seat or I'll eat the end piece. Nov 30, 2018 at 8:02

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