# mattress

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmætɹɪs/ · frequency rank #11,740

## Definitions
1. A pad on which a person can recline and sleep, usually having an inner section of coiled springs covered with foam or other cushioning material then enclosed with cloth fabric.
2. A form of retaining wall used to support foundations or an embankment
3. A form of lagging, in particular for boilers.

## Etymology
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).

## Easily confused with
- **mistress** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mattress-vs-mistress)
- **matters** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/matters-vs-mattress)
- **Matthews** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/matthews-vs-mattress)

## Common misspellings (7)
`amttress`, `matress`, `matrtess`, `mattrress`, `mattrses`, `mmattress`, `mtatress`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mattress