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 bed frame

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

While many people online insisted the loft should be used as a bedroom, by simply placing a mattress on the floor, Giangreco quickly ruled that out for practical reasons that mattered far more to her than aesthetics. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026

One episode sees Yoshi trying to prove himself to his parents by selling mattresses in a tube. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 May 2026

The mattress on the bed was a little short and my bare feet hung off the edge, beyond the light white sheet. —Literary Hub, 29 May 2026

The upgrade kit comprises a three-panel platform mattress sized to collapse behind the second-row seats. —C.c. Weiss may 29, New Atlas, 29 May 2026

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