A cot is a simple, narrow bed that's easy to move and set up. Unlike regular beds with box springs and heavy frames, cots usually have a lightweight metal or wooden frame with canvas or fabric stretched across it. They fold up for storage and can be carried from place to place.

Hospitals sometimes use cots for extra patients during emergencies. Summer camps often have rows of cots in cabin dormitories. When relatives visit and there aren't enough beds, families might set up a cot in the living room or den. Military troops in the field sleep on cots in their tents. After a natural disaster, emergency shelters quickly fill with cots so displaced families have somewhere to rest.

Cots aren't as comfortable as regular beds, but they're practical when you need a place to sleep quickly or temporarily. A cot is exactly what you want when the alternative is sleeping on the floor, but it's not what you'd choose every night if you had better options.