paillasse

American  

[pal-yas, pal-yas, pal-ee-as, pal-ee-as] / pælˈjæs, ˈpæl jæs, ˌpæl iˈæs, ˈpæl iˌæs /

Or palliasse

noun

1. Chiefly British. a mattress of straw; pallet.

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paillasse British  

/ ˈpælɪˌæs, ˌpælɪˈæs /

noun

1. a variant spelling (esp US) of palliasse

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Etymology

Origin of paillasse

1500–10; < French < Italian pagliaccio straw pallet, equivalent to pagli ( a ) straw (< Latin palea chaff ) + -accio pejorative noun suffix

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paillasse

Hassan, wearied with his journey, hastily swallowed his supper, and, stretching himself upon a paillasse, soon forgot his calamities in sound repose.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 55, No. 341, March, 1844 by Various

So soon as he reached his paillasse a volley of shouts went up from all directions, shouts in which all nationalities joined, shouts or rather jeers which made the pillars tremble and the windows rattle—

From The Enormous Room by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings

A certain prisoner named Thomas, at the Mont Saint Michel, found means of secreting the greater part of a wall in his paillasse.

From Toilers of the Sea by Victor Hugo

He amused himself for hours together by lying on his paillasse tilting his head back, rolling up his eyes, and crying in a high quavering voice—"JAW-neeeeee."

From The Enormous Room by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings

Strutted to and fro, kicked the cabinet, flashed an electric torch, and walked up the room examining each paillasse to make sure it had an occupant.

From The Enormous Room by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings