air mattress

noun

plural air mattresses

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

And take it from my early 1960s-model spine, a modern air mattress—cheap, simple to inflate and reliable—is something that many parents will find essential when sleeping in a tent.

—Steve Stephens

called also air bed

Examples of air mattress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The captain’s chairs can fold flat, like today’s bench seat, to enable a completely flat cargo area for those who want to use the six-seat R1S to camp with an air mattress in the back at night. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026

This single-person air mattress weighs just over 1 pound and is also well suited for backpacking. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026

The men used two cinch ropes to lash an air mattress on each side of the horse. — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026

Sleeping on an air mattress was as foreign to her as setting her eyes on a mountainous horizon. — Brad Ryan, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above