mattress

American  

[ma-tris] / ˈmæ trɪs /

noun

• mattresses
  plural

1. 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.

2. air mattress.

3. a mat woven of brush, poles, or similar material, used to prevent erosion of the surface of dikes, jetties, embankments, dams, etc.

4. a layer of concrete placed on bare ground, as to provide a footing; mat.

5. a layer of any material used to cushion, protect, reinforce, or the like.

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mattress British  

/ ˈmætrɪs /

noun

1. 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

2. Also called: Dutch mattress. a woven mat of brushwood, poles, etc, used to protect an embankment, dyke, etc, from scour

3. Sometimes shortened to: mat. a concrete or steel raft or slab used as a foundation or footing

4. a network of reinforcing rods or expanded metal sheeting, used in reinforced concrete

5. civil engineering another name for blinding

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mattresses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mattress

1250–1300; Middle English materas < Old French < Italian materasso < Arabic maṭraḥ mat, cushion

Explanation

Your mattress is the padded part of your bed that rests on top of the frame or box springs and is covered in a sheet. Some people prefer a soft, squishy mattress, while others like their mattresses firm. Some mattresses have a system of springs inside to provide just the right amount of firmness and bounce when you lie on them. Others are made of a dense kind of foam that supports a sleeper's body comfortably. The earliest mattresses were filled with straw or horse hair, and in many societies people don't sleep on mattresses at all, instead using mats or futons. The Arabic root of mattress is al-matrah, "thing thrown down."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mattress mattresses

In diligent, exhausted Japan, self-described elite "competitive sleepers" vied to lie down, relax and nap the fastest and deepest in a contest organised by a mattress company.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

She has a disability and cannot walk, and told me she had nowhere of her own to sleep: "I have nothing… no shelter, no mattress, no family. Nothing."

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

On the floor was a single mattress, low to the ground, with carnation-pink satin sheets.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

I took a cue from the business-class veterans across the aisle and started by putting my mattress pad on the seat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something I shouldn’t and turned to see Serina watching me, her arms propped lazily on the mattress as she stood on the bunk below mine.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

“And we never heard back,” Miranda said, telling me she had seen people set up camp at the property, bringing in mattresses, book shelves and clothing racks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

Consumers share tips on how to “sleepmaxx” on social media, recommending devices, from wearables to smart mattresses and alarm clocks, along with DIY remedies like “sleepy girl mocktail” concoctions containing magnesium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Peterborough-based Care Zone, which has a warehouse on the edge of the city, plans to spend £80,000 this year on beds and mattresses for local families.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

The burned waste at the site included several old mattresses, a fridge freezer, builders waste, car tyres, a cement mixer and wood panelling.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

I started off in a mattress warehouse, dragging mattresses down metal ramps at the back of the store and loading them onto delivery trucks.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez

Related Words

• bed
• cushion
• pallet