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

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

Somnigroup, formed from Tempur-Sealy’s acquisition of Mattress Firm, had offered to buy Leggett & Platt, which produces components including mattress springs and specialty foam, in December for $1.63 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Mattress No. 2 was an extra-firm mattress purchased from one of the largest furniture retailers in the U.S.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026

Mattress manufacturer Somnigroup International submitted a proposal to acquire Leggett & Platt in an all-stock transaction at $12 a share, representing a 30% premium to the stock’s average closing price over the past 30 days.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

Mattress rides down the large entrance staircase were common as was fire twirling, juggling and unicycle riding.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2024

Mattress and pillow were wool of their raising, their blankets and cloth their own weave.

From Bransford of Rainbow Range Originally Published under the title of Bransford in Arcadia, or, The Little Eohippus by Rhodes, Eugene Manlove

Related Words

• bed
• cushion
• pallet