Hammocks (from hamaca, Spain, borrowed from Taino and Arawak hamaka) are slings made of fabrics, ropes or nets, suspended between two or more points for swinging, sleeping or resting. It usually consists of one or more cloth panels or a network of strings or strings stretched by ropes between two solid anchor points (such as trees or columns). Hammock is a bed developed for sleep by local residents in central and South America. Later, sailors, as well as explorers or soldiers traveling in the forest, used them on ships to provide comfort and maximize available space. Eventually, in the 1920s, parents across North America used fabric hammocks to accommodate babies who had just learned to crawl. Today, they are popular around the world to relax; they are also used as light beds for camping. Hammocks are often seen as symbols of summer, leisure, relaxation and a simple, relaxed life.

Spanish colonists pointed out that when Spain conquered, Native Americans used hammocks, especially in the West Indies.

In his account of the first voyage, Columbus said: "today, many Indians in canoes come to this ship in exchange for cotton, Hamacas or nets they sleep on."

The word comes from Ta? No culture Arawakan word (Haiti), which means "continuous cloth" from Xingen Maka.

The early hammocks were woven from bark, and later this material was replaced by sisal fiber because of its higher content. One of the reasons why hammocks are popular in central and South America is their ability to provide security against disease transmission, insect bites or animal bites. By hanging the bed on the ground, the residents can be better protected from snakes, biting ants and other pests.

Since the late 18th century, the origin of hammocks in America has often been concealed in English sources. Samuel Johnson claims that the term hammock originated in the Saxons. This etymology was quickly debunked, and sources in the late 19th century attributed the invention to Athenian statesman assibiades. This was inferred from Plutarch, who wrote that Alcibiades' kitchen bed was lifted by rope, but did not specifically describe it as a net or sling. Some European sources mentioned that cloth slings were used as carriage seats, but not as conventional beds.