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mate·las·sé

(mätlə-sā′)

A sturdy, textured, usually cotton fabric having a puckered or quilted appearance, often used in bedding and upholstery.

[French, from past participle of matelasser, to pad, quilt, from matelas, mattress, cushion, from Old French materas; see MATTRESS.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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