cushion

cushion
—cushionless, adj. —cushionlike, adj.
/koosh"euhn/, n.
1. a soft bag of cloth, leather, or rubber, filled with feathers, air, foam rubber, etc., on which to sit, kneel, or lie.
2. anything similar in form, used to dampen shocks or to prevent excessive pressure or chafing.
3. something to absorb or counteract a shock, jar, or jolt, as a body of air or steam.
4. something that lessens the effects of hardship, distress, or the like: His inheritance was a cushion against unemployment.
5. Anat., Zool. any part or structure resembling a cushion.
6. the resilient raised rim encircling the top of a billiard table.
7. a pad worn under the hair by women.
8. a portion of a radio or television script that can be adjusted in length or cut out altogether in order to end the program on time.
9. Ice Hockey, Canadian. the iced surface of a rink.
10. a pillow used in lacemaking.
11. a leather pad on which gold leaf is placed preparatory to gilding.
v.t.
12. to place on or support by a cushion.
13. to furnish with a cushion or cushions.
14. to cover or conceal with, or as if with, a cushion.
15. to lessen or soften the effects of: to cushion the blow to his pride.
16. to suppress (complaints, lamentations, etc.) by quietly ignoring.
17. to check the motion of (a piston or the like) by a cushion, as of steam.
18. to form (steam or the like) into a cushion.
[1300-50; ME cuisshin < AF; MF coussin L cox(a) hip + -inus -INE1; see COXA]
Syn. 1. pad. CUSHION, PILLOW, BOLSTER agree in being cases filled with a material more or less resilient, intended to be used as supports for the body or parts of it. A CUSHION is a soft pad used to sit, lie, or kneel on, or to lean against: cushions on a sofa; cushions on pews in a church. A PILLOW is a bag or case filled with feathers, down, or other soft material, usually to support the head: to sleep with a pillow under one's head. A BOLSTER is a firm pillow, long enough to extend the width of a bed and used as head support, with or without a pillow. 3. shock absorber.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • cushion — [koosh′ən] n. [ME cuisshin < OFr coissin < ML coxinum, altered (after L coxa, hip) < Gallo Roman * culcinum, for L culcita, cushion, QUILT] 1. a pillow or soft pad for sitting or kneeling on, or reclining against; specif., a removable… …   English World dictionary

  • Cushion — Cush ion (k??sh ?n), n. [OE. cuischun, quisshen, OF. coissin, cuissin, F. coussin, fr. (assumed) LL. culcitinum, dim. of L. culcita cushion, mattress, pillow. See {Quilt}, and cf. {Counterpoint} a {coverlet}.] 1. A case or bag stuffed with some… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cushion — Cush ion (k[oo^]sh [u^]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cushioned} ( [u^]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Cushioning}.] 1. To seat or place on, or as on a cushion. [1913 Webster] Many who are cushioned on thrones would have remained in obscurity. Bolingbroke. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cushion — (n.) c.1300, from O.Fr. coissin seat cushion (12c., Mod.Fr. coussin), probably a variant of V.L. *coxinum, from L. coxa hip, thigh, or from L. culcita mattress. Someone has counted more than 400 spellings of the plural of this word in M.E. wills… …   Etymology dictionary

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  • cushion — ► NOUN 1) a bag of cloth stuffed with a mass of soft material, used as a comfortable support for sitting or leaning on. 2) a source of support or protection against impact. 3) the elastic lining of the sides of a billiard table, from which the… …   English terms dictionary

  • cushion — index bear (support), ease, mitigate, modify (moderate), protect Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …   Law dictionary

  • cushion — [[t]k ʊʃ(ə)n[/t]] cushions, cushioning, cushioned 1) N COUNT A cushion is a fabric case filled with soft material, which you put on a seat to make it more comfortable. ...a velvet cushion. 2) N COUNT A cushion is a soft pad or barrier, especially …   English dictionary

  • cushion — cush|ion1 S3 [ˈkuʃən] n [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: coissin, from Vulgar Latin coxinus, from Latin coxa hip ] 1.) a cloth bag filled with soft material that you put on a chair or the floor to make it more comfortable →↑pillow ▪ a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • cushion — I UK [ˈkʊʃ(ə)n] / US noun Word forms cushion : singular cushion plural cushions * 1) [countable] a cloth bag filled with something soft such as feathers, used for making a seat more comfortable 2) [countable] a layer that separates two objects… …   English dictionary

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