Meanings
matrass1
matrass2
plural matrasses
- archaicA type of bolthead flask used in chemical distillation.First known use 16th c.
So the learn’d Alchemist exulting sees / Rise in his bright matrass Diana’s trees […].
1791, Erasmus Darwin, The Economy of Vegetation, J. Johnson, page 206
Origin
matrass · noun
- Latinmataris
- Middle Frenchmateras
- Anglo-Normanmatraz“shaft, dart”
- Englishmatrass
From Anglo-Norman matraz (“shaft, dart”), Middle French materas, from an unattested post-classical variant of Latin mataris, materis (“Gaulish throwing-spear”), from a Gaulish language.
More words from Anglo-Norman, Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →matrass · noun
- Arabicمطرة
- Middle Frenchmateras
- Middle Frenchmatheras
- New Latinmatracium
- Englishmatrass
From New Latin matracium and its source, Middle French matheras, matraz etc., either from Middle French materas (see Etymology 1, above), with reference to its shape, or from Arabic مطرة, مطارة (“leather bottle, vase”).
More words from New Latin, Middle French, Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Italian matraccio
- matracciotype of flask
Spanish matraz
- matraztype of flask
Turkish matara
- mataratype of flask
Cite this entry
matrass. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matrass
“matrass.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matrass. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “matrass,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matrass.
Source: matrass on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.