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

Investigators found that other children in the home had proper furniture and toys and personal items in their clean bedrooms while the 12-year-old had an air mattress and little else in hers, the affidavit said. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026

The company says its 5 kPa output is enough to get an air mattress to properly firm up without the need for manual breaths – even with a person lying on it. —New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026

Nearby, people and their dogs who had moved into the shelter for the duration of the war lounged on air mattresses, scrolling through their phones. —ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026

She had been moved from the motor home to a garage where she was found on an air mattress on top of a box spring. —Logan Smith, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above