Mattress
(Mat"tress) n. [OF. materas, F. matelas, LL. matratium; cf. Sp. & Pg. almadraque, Pr. almatrac; all
from Ar. ma&tsdotrah a place where anything is thrown, what is thrown under something, fr. &tsdotaraha
to throw.]
1. A quilted bed; a bed stuffed with hair, moss, or other suitable material, and quilted or otherwise fastened.
[Written also matress.]
2. (Hydraulic Engin.) A mass of interwoven brush, poles, etc., to protect a bank from being worn away
by currents or waves.
Maturant
(Mat"u*rant) n. [L. maturans, p. pr. See Maturate.] (Med.) A medicine, or application, which
promotes suppuration.
Maturate
(Mat"u*rate) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Maturated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Maturating ] [L. maturatus, p.
p. of maturare to make ripe, fr. maturus ripe, mature. See Mature, v. & a.]
1. To bring to ripeness or maturity; to ripen.
A tree may be maturated artificially.
Fuller. 2. To promote the perfect suppuration of (an abscess).
Maturate
(Mat"u*rate), v. i. To ripen; to become mature; specifically, to suppurate.
Maturation
(Mat`u*ra"tion) n. [L. maturatio a hastening: cf. F. maturation.] The process of bringing,
or of coming, to maturity; hence, specifically, the process of suppurating perfectly; the formation of pus or
matter.
Maturative
(Mat"u*ra*tive) a. [Cf. F. maturatif.] Conducing to ripeness or maturity; hence, conducing to
suppuration.
Maturative
(Mat"u*ra*tive), n. (Med.) A remedy promoting maturation; a maturant.
Mature
(Ma*ture") a. [Compar. Maturer ; superl. Maturest.] [L. maturus; prob. akin to E. matin.]
1. Brought by natural process to completeness of growth and development; fitted by growth and development
for any function, action, or state, appropriate to its kind; full-grown; ripe.
Now is love mature in ear.
Tennison.
How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage,
Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age ?
Pope. 2. Completely worked out; fully digested or prepared; ready for action; made ready for destined application
or use; perfected; as, a mature plan.
This lies glowing, . . . and is almost mature for the violent breaking out.
Shak. 3. Of or pertaining to a condition of full development; as, a man of mature years.
4. Come to, or in a state of, completed suppuration.
Syn. — Ripe; perfect; completed; prepared; digested; ready. — Mature, Ripe. Both words describe fullness
of growth. Mature brings to view the progressiveness of the process; ripe indicates the result. We
speak of a thing as mature when thinking of the successive stayes through which it has passed; as
ripe, when our attention is directed merely to its state. A mature judgment; mature consideration; ripe
fruit; a ripe scholar.
