matrass: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low / ArchaicTechnical (historical/chemical), Archaic, Literary
Quick answer
What does “matrass” mean?
A long-necked glass vessel with a round body, used historically in chemistry for distillation, sublimation, or as a container.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A long-necked glass vessel with a round body, used historically in chemistry for distillation, sublimation, or as a container.
In historical or literary contexts, a container for holding specific substances (like medicines) or, more rarely, a type of thin mattress or pad.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant regional difference exists, as the term is equally obsolete/technical in both varieties. Might be slightly more known in UK texts due to longer history of academic writing.
Connotations
Evokes antique scientific equipment, alchemy, or 18th/19th-century laboratories.
Frequency
Extremely rare in modern usage outside of historical texts or discussions of antique scientific instruments.
Grammar
How to Use “matrass” in a Sentence
the matrass of [substance, e.g., mercury]distill in a matrassseal the matrassVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “matrass” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The alchemist would matrass the mixture before heating it. (Rare/archaic verb form)
American English
- The procedure required to matrass the compound for sublimation. (Rare/archaic verb form)
adjective
British English
- The matrass neck was carefully sealed. (Noun used attributively)
American English
- He described the matrass shape in his notes. (Noun used attributively)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used only in historical or history of science contexts to describe antique apparatus.
Everyday
Virtually unknown.
Technical
The primary domain, but only in historical descriptions of chemistry/alchemy. Not in modern lab manuals.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “matrass”
- Spelling: 'mattrass', 'matras'.
- Using it to mean a modern Erlenmeyer or round-bottom flask (those are specific, different shapes).
- Assuming it is a common synonym for 'mattress' in modern English.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. A matrass is a specific historical type of flask, typically with a very long neck and a round body, used for distillation or sublimation. Modern flasks have standardized shapes (e.g., round-bottom, Erlenmeyer).
Historically, yes, but this meaning is now obsolete and extremely rare. In almost all contemporary contexts, 'matrass' refers to the chemical vessel. The modern word is 'mattress'.
No, it is a low-frequency historical term. It is useful only for those reading very old scientific texts, historical novels, or working in museums of science.
It is pronounced /ˈmætrəs/ (MAT-russ), with the stress on the first syllable, similar to 'mattress'.
A long-necked glass vessel with a round body, used historically in chemistry for distillation, sublimation, or as a container.
Matrass is usually technical (historical/chemical), archaic, literary in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an **ass** (donkey) carrying a fragile **matrass** (glass vessel) in an old laboratory. The 'matr-' sounds like 'material' used in experiments.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR TRANSFORMATION (alchemical change within the sealed vessel).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'matrass' primarily?