mattress

American  

[ma-tris] / ˈmæ trɪs /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of mattress

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

Example Sentences

"We lived like kings in our homes. Our life has become an ordeal," the old man said through tears, sitting on a mattress in his tent.

From Barron's

This is why Mom used to add “bike helmet” to the storm list when she was little—a mattress over the bathtub only protects so far from blunt force trauma.

From Literature

A filthy, ripped sofa piled with broken furniture and bags of garbage sits in the middle of the living area, a stained mattress propped up against its side.

From Literature

Cavill co-founded a company that uses a wristband to predict women’s hot flashes, paired with a cooling mattress pad, so she knows a thing or two about sensors.

From The Wall Street Journal

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the Lebanese Red Cross was distributing aid to households, including blankets, mattresses, meals, bread and safe drinking water.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bed
• cushion
• pallet