Definition of mattress in US English: mattress
noun 1 A fabric case filled with deformable or resilient material, used for sleeping on.
Example sentences
‘His pillow was extremely soft, and the flannel sheets and firm mattresses were almost too comfortable.’ ‘Sleeping mattresses were also available for members of noble households.’ ‘They prepared the mattresses they slept on in silence.’ ‘They sleep on flimsy mattresses and wrap themselves in parkas or sleeping bags to keep warm at night.’ ‘They had slept on mattresses of straw over which they had thrown clean linen and their own blankets.’ ‘The boys sleep on mattresses and their days are filled with school classes, sport and counselling.’ ‘For the last week I have been sleeping on a mattress between my children's beds.’ ‘The sun made its final farewell, so he flipped on a lamp and sat down on the soft mattress.’ ‘For example, some parents may not be able to afford firmer mattresses or to have enough beds for all their family members.’ ‘Small areas are sectioned off where people are sleeping on mattresses on pallets.’ ‘I use a fitted sheet because I sleep on a twin futon and the mattress is in two pieces.’ ‘We slid down a short chute and landed on a soft mattress with everyone looking at us.’ ‘The mites breed at a phenomenal rate in soft furnishings such as pillows and mattresses.’ ‘Pillows, mattresses, blankets and sheets were strewn throughout the room.’ ‘When it comes to beds and mattresses, the softest are not always the best.’ ‘These little critters are found in mattresses, carpets, soft furniture and bedding.’ ‘At nights, he was forced to sleep on a thin mattress against the stump of a tree.’ ‘Wouldn't our back streets and green spaces look more attractive without dumped carpets, mattresses and chairs?’ ‘The trailer was cramped and had no furniture except for a mattress and a wooden bench.’ ‘Instead, the box springs and mattresses are combined and a mattress pad placed over them.’ 1.1 Engineering A flat structure of brushwood, concrete, or other material used as strengthening or support for foundations, embankments, etc. Origin Middle English: via Old French and Italian from Arabic maṭraḥ ‘carpet or cushion’, from ṭaraḥa ‘to throw’.
Pronunciation mattress /ˈmatrəs/ /ˈmætrəs/