paillasse

[ pal-yas, pal-yas, pal-ee-as, pal-ee-as ]

/ pælˈyæs, ˈpæl yæs, ˌpæl iˈæs, ˈpæl iˌæs /

Chiefly British. a mattress of straw; pallet.

Origin of paillasse

1500–10; < French < Italian pagliaccio straw pallet, equivalent to pagli(a) straw (< Latin palea chaff) + -accio pejorative noun suffix

Paillasse, pa-lyas′, n. a small bed, originally made of chaff or straw: an under mattress of straw.

Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) |Various
The next moment she had pushed it between the paillasse and mattress of Susy's bed.

The Children of Wilton Chase |Mrs. L. T. Meade
Raising one of the blinds cautiously, he recognized the little suburb of Paillasse.

The Companions of Jehu |Alexandre Dumas, pre
He sprang with one bound to the paillasse, and withdrew from it the stiffened form of an infant four years old, dead and cold.

The Mysteries of Paris, Volume 2 of 6 |Eugne Sue

But this proves to be the note of Paillasse, a merry-andrew.

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. |Various

paillasse

/ (ˈpælɪˌæs, ˌpælɪˈæs) /

a variant spelling (esp US) of palliasse