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MATTRESS DEFINITION |
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> The definition of mattress |
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Definition of the Mattress
•1.a. A usually rectangular pad of heavy cloth filled with soft
material or an arrangement of coiled springs, used as or on a bed.
•1.b. An airtight inflatable pad used as or on a bed or as a
cushion.
•2. A closely woven mat of brush and poles used to protect an embankment,
a dike, or a dam from erosion.
Word History: The history of the word mattress is a small
lesson in the way amenities have come to Europe from the Middle East.
During the earlier part of the Middle Ages, Arabic culture was more
advanced than that of Europe. One of the amenities of life enjoyed by the
Arabs was sleeping on cushions thrown on the floor. Derived from the
Arabic word araa, “to throw,” the word mara meant “place where something is thrown” and “mat, cushion.” This kind of
sleeping surface was adopted by the Europeans during the Crusades, and the
Arabic word was taken into Old Italian (materasso) and then into
Old French (materas), from which comes the Middle English word materas, first recorded in a work written around 1300. The Arabic word
also became Medieval Latin matracium, another source of our word.
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