Mammocks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Suspended beds made of fabric or netting designed for resting or sleeping; structures offering support and comfort while hanging between two points; portable resting arrangements used outdoors or indoors for relaxation
2. Hanging furniture typically woven or fabric-based for reclining or napping; supportive suspended apparatus used for leisure or rest; easily transportable sleeping or lounging devices suspended above ground
3. Fabric or netted swinging beds attached to supports, intended for relaxation or sleep; devices providing suspended comfort by hanging between anchors; movable reclining fixtures used in various environments for resting purposes

Etymology: "Mammocks" is the plural of "mammock," which means a shred or ragged scrap, the kind of piece left after something has been torn to bits. It has nothing to do with hanging beds or hammocks, despite the sense given in the meaning above. The first half, "mam," has no traceable origin, so the word's history rests mostly on its ending. The suffix "-ock" is a diminutive, the same one found in "hillock" and "bullock," and it makes the base mean a small piece of something. It descends from a Proto-Germanic suffix that passed through Old English as "-oc" and Middle English as "-ok" before settling into its modern form.

Synonyms: mammals