Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mattress” come from?

Mattress comes from Middle English materas, from Arabic mațraḥ, a place where something is thrown, derived from the Arabic verb țaraḥa, meaning to throw.

mattress (English): A pad on which a person can recline and sleep,...

Definitions

  1. A pad on which a person can recline and sleep,...

Ancestry of “mattress”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmaterasA mattress; a pad or cushioning for sleeping...
2Old Frenchmatrasmattress
3Arabicمَطْرَحcarpet, place where something is thrown; place...
4Arabicطَرَحَreject, deduct; to throw

Words derived from “mattress”

  • mattressed
  • mattressy
  • mattresslike
  • 매트리스
Every word from Arabic طَرَحَ →