mattress

noun

mat·​tress ˈma-trəs 

plural mattresses

1

a

: a fabric case filled with resilient material (such as cotton, hair, feathers, foam rubber, or an arrangement of coiled springs) used either alone as a bed or on a bedstead

b

: a soft, airtight case that is designed to be inflated and used as a bed : air mattress

2

: a device (as of interwoven brush and poles) used to protect a shoreline, bank, or streambed from erosion

Examples of mattress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The electronic hospital bed with the extra comfortable mattress and the trapeze bar needed a new home. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Dec. 2024

That’s when Grateful Gatherings stepped in and provided Coleman with a couch, bed frame and brand new mattress and bedding, a far cry from the ironing board Coleman used to lay his head on while living in a U-Haul shed. —Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024

Sometimes, the lights never go off, or there aren’t any mattresses, or the facilities are just too loud. —Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024

Early Thursday morning, a video circulated with Timmerman laying under a blanket on a mattress. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English materas, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin materacium, from Arabic maṭraḥ place where something is thrown

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mattress

• air mattress
• mattress pad

Kids Definition

mattress

noun

mat·​tress ˈma-trəs 

1

: a fabric case filled with springy material used as a bed or on a bedstead

2

: a sack that can be filled with air or water and used as a mattress