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

Personal effects of little value to thieves — mattresses, clothes, photographs, children’s toys — litter the park. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025

And Yoshi put his arm around my shoulder, sinking a little further into the mattress, humming just under his breath. —Bryan Washington, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025

Available in Recycled Velvet and Hemp with the same color varieties, this comfortable yet compact couch can quickly convert into a queen-sized mattress. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Mar. 2025

Each of its 256 cells houses an average of 156 inmates in metal bunks with no mattresses or sheets and only two toilets and two sinks for the entire group. —Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025

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