noun
mattress
MAT-rihs
noun
1
A thick, cushioned pad, usually placed on a bed frame, that a person lies on to sleep.
"They bought a new mattress after years of sleeping on a lumpy old one."
"The mattress was firm enough to support her back."
How to Use Mattress
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe padded part of a bed that you actually lie on, usually resting on a frame or springs.
Common pairings
memory foam mattress
firm mattress
mattress topper
flip the mattress
Word Forms
mattressed past tense, mattresses plural, mattresses singular
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They bought a new _____ after years of sleeping on a lumpy old one.
Etymology
From Old French, ultimately from Arabic matrah, "the place where something is thrown down" — from a Middle Eastern custom of sleeping on cushions laid on the floor.