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

More than 1,800 customers have given the mattress topper a five-star rating, and over 600 people have praised it in reviews. —Isabel Garcia, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Get a head start with these mattress picks that combine functionality and comfort. —Jenifer Calle, Glamour, 21 Oct. 2024

FAQs What type of mattress is the softest? Memory foam mattresses tend to feel the softest because memory foam contours around your body, creating that cloud-like feeling. —Ashley Zlatopolsky, Architectural Digest, 17 Oct. 2024

Gledhill is facing obstruction of justice charges for deleting WhatsApp messages, disposing of a mattress, cleaning the house, disposing of a gun, moving a truck and disposed of or removed a dead body, court records show. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 16 Oct. 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