ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mattress

n. · v.
US //ˈmætɹəs// UK //mˈætɹəs// mat·tress
  1. 1 bedding (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the large, soft part of a bed that you lie on to sleep.

    a large rectangular pad for supporting the reclining body, used as or on a bed.

    Example

    The new mattress was so comfortable that I fell asleep immediately.

    Example

    After years of sleeping on a worn-out frame, he finally invested in a high-quality memory foam mattress to alleviate his chronic back pain.
  2. 2 engineering/foundations (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a thick layer of material used to protect a foundation or a river bank.

    a protective structure, often made of stone or concrete, used to stabilise foundations or prevent erosion on embankments.

    Example

    Engineers placed a concrete mattress along the river bank to stop the soil from washing away.

    Example

    The structural integrity of the bridge was reinforced by a heavy-duty stone mattress designed to withstand the constant pressure of the tidal current.
  3. 3 to cover thickly (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    to cover something with a thick, soft layer.

    to cover or blanket a surface with a thick layer of material, resembling the application of a mattress.

    Example

    The fallen leaves started to mattress the forest floor as autumn arrived.

    Example

    By mid-December, a heavy snowfall had begun to mattress the valley, muffling all sound and hiding the jagged rocks beneath a soft white layer.
Origin

From Middle English materas, from Old French, from Arabic مَطْرَح (maṭraḥ, “place where something is thrown”), from طَرَحَ (ṭaraḥa, “to throw”). Compare divan, from Persian via Turkish (both of Middle Eastern origin, due to the local custom of lying on padding on floor being foreign to Europeans).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms1 entry

Last updated June 20, 2026