Meaning
A thin mattress of tufted cotton or similar material, placed on a floor or on a raised, foldable frame as a bed.
Etymology
Origin: Japanese
Borrowed from Japanese 布団 (futon), in turn from Middle Chinese 蒲團 (MC bu dwan, “meditation cushion”) (compare Mandarin 蒲团 (pútuán)), from 蒲 (bu, “bulrush, cattail”) + 團 (dwan, “sphere, round object”) from the way the original cushion was round and made from woven bulrushes.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 3 recorded puzzles: