mattress

mat·tress  (mtrs)

n.

1.

a. A usually rectangular pad of heavy cloth filled with soft material or an arrangement of coiled springs, used as or on a bed.

b. An airtight inflatable pad used as or on a bed or as a cushion.

2. A closely woven mat of brush and poles used to protect an embankment, a dike, or a dam from erosion.

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[Middle English mattresse, from Old French materas, from Old Italian materasso and from Medieval Latin matracium, both from Arabic mara, place where something is thrown, mat, cushion, from araa, to throw; see r in Semitic roots.]

Word History: The history of the word mattress is a small lesson in the way amenities have come to Europe from the Middle East. During the earlier part of the Middle Ages, Arabic culture was more advanced than that of Europe. One of the amenities of life enjoyed by the Arabs was sleeping on cushions thrown on the floor. Derived from the Arabic word araa, "to throw," the word mara meant "place where something is thrown" and "mat, cushion." This kind of sleeping surface was adopted by the Europeans during the Crusades, and the Arabic word was taken into Old Italian (materasso) and then into Old French (materas), from which comes the Middle English word materas, first recorded in a work written around 1300. The Arabic word also became Medieval Latin matracium, another source of our word.

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mattress [ˈmætrɪs]

n

1. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Furniture) a large flat pad with a strong cover, filled with straw, foam rubber, etc., and often incorporating coiled springs, used as a bed or as part of a bed

2. (Engineering / Civil Engineering) Also called Dutch mattress a woven mat of brushwood, poles, etc., used to protect an embankment, dyke, etc., from scour

3. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Building) a concrete or steel raft or slab used as a foundation or footing Sometimes shortened to mat

4. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Building) a network of reinforcing rods or expanded metal sheeting, used in reinforced concrete

5. (Engineering / Civil Engineering) Civil engineering another name for blinding [3]

[via Old French from Italian materasso, from Arabic almatrah place where something is thrown]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

mattress - a large thick pad filled with resilient material and often incorporating coiled springs, used as a bed or part of a bed air mattress - a mattress that can be stored flat and inflated for use bed - a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep; "he sat on the edge of the bed"; "the room had only a bed and chair" feather bed, featherbed - a mattress stuffed with feathers futon - mattress consisting of a pad of cotton batting that is used for sleeping on the floor or on a raised frame pad - a flat mass of soft material used for protection, stuffing, or comfort paillasse, palliasse - mattress consisting of a thin pad filled with straw or sawdust pallet - a mattress filled with straw or a pad made of quilts; used as a bed spring mattress - a mattress containing springs in a rigid frame tick - a light mattress

Translations

mattress [ˈmætrɪs] N → colchón m

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mattress [ˈmætrəs] n → matelas m

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mattress

n → Matratze f

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mattress [ˈmætrɪs] n → materasso

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mattress [ˈmætrɪs] n → materasso

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mattress

n mattress [ˈmӕtris]

a thick, firm layer of padding, covered in cloth etc, for lying on, usually as part of a bed. matras فِراش дюшек matrace madras die Matratze στρώμα colchón madrats تشک patja matelas מִזרָן गद्दा strunjača, madrac matrac matras, kasur dÿna materasso マットレス 매트리스 matracas matracis tilam matras madrass materac colchão saltea матрас matrac žimnica madrac madrass ที่นอน şilte, döşek 床墊 матрац گدّا nệm 床垫

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mattress → حشية matrace madras Matratze στρώμα colchón patja matelas madrac materasso マットレス 매트리스 matras madrass materac colchão матрац madrass ที่นอน yatak đệm 床垫