|
| mat·tress [ máttrəss ] (plural mat·tress·es) |
noun |
|
| Definition: |
| |
1. pad for sleeping on: a large pad on which to sleep, usually containing springs or a soft springy filling. Some modern mattresses have electronic controls that allow them to tilt into different positions.
|
2. inflatable pad: a large pad that can be filled with air or water and used as a bed or for floating on, e.g. in a pool
|
3. foundation for building: a slab or platform used as a foundation for a building
|
| [13th century. < Old French materas< Arabic al-matraḥ "cushion"; from the practice of sleeping on cushions] |