mattress
[ ma-tris ]
/ ˈmæ trɪs /
noun
a large pad for supporting the reclining body, used as or on a bed, consisting of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, that contains hair, straw, cotton, foam rubber, etc., or a framework of metal springs.
a mat woven of brush, poles, or similar material, used to prevent erosion of the surface of dikes, jetties, embankments, dams, etc.
a layer of concrete placed on bare ground, as to provide a footing; mat.
a layer of any material used to cushion, protect, reinforce, or the like.
QUIZZES
TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!
Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.
Question 1 of 10
orchard
Origin of mattress
1250–1300; Middle English materas < Old French < Italian materasso < Arabic maṭraḥ mat, cushion
Words nearby mattress
matto grosso, mattock, mattoid, mattoon, mattrass, mattress, mattress suture, matty, matulane, matura diamond, maturate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for mattress
British Dictionary definitions for mattress
mattress
/ (ˈmætrɪs) /
noun
a large flat pad with a strong cover, filled with straw, foam rubber, etc, and often incorporating coiled springs, used as a bed or as part of a bed
Also called: Dutch mattress a woven mat of brushwood, poles, etc, used to protect an embankment, dyke, etc, from scour
a concrete or steel raft or slab used as a foundation or footingSometimes shortened to: mat
a network of reinforcing rods or expanded metal sheeting, used in reinforced concrete
civil engineering another name for blinding (def. 3)
Word Origin for mattress
C13: via Old French from Italian materasso, from Arabic almatrah place where something is thrown
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012