cushion

cushion
I. noun Etymology: Middle English cusshin, from Anglo-French cussin, quissin, from Vulgar Latin *coxinus, from Latin coxa hip — more at coxa Date: 14th century 1. a soft pillow or pad usually used for sitting, reclining, or kneeling 2. a bodily part resembling a pad 3. something resembling a cushion: as a. pillow 2 b. rat 3 c. a pad of springy rubber along the inside of the rim of a billiard table d. a padded insert in a shoe e. an elastic body for reducing shock f. a mat laid under a large rug to ease the effect of wear 4. a. something (as an economic factor or a medical procedure) serving to mitigate the effects of disturbances or disorders b. a reserve supply (as of money) c. a comfortable lead <
a 4-0 cushion in the ninth inning
>
cushionless adjectivecushiony adjective II. transitive verb (cushioned; cushioning) Date: circa 1738 1. to seat or place on a cushion 2. to suppress by ignoring 3. to furnish with a cushion <
a cushioned seat
>
4. a. to mitigate the effects of <
trying to cushion the blow
>
b. to protect against force or shock <
cushion the ride
>
5. to check gradually so as to minimize shock of moving parts

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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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

  • cushion — [n] pillow, pad beanbag, bolster, buffer, bumper, fender, hassock, headrest, mat, rest, seat, sham, squab, woolsack; concepts 444,464,484 cushion [v] pad, protect from blow bolster, buttress, cradle, dampen, deaden, insulate, muffle, pillow,… …   New thesaurus

  • 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 — 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… …   Universalium

  • 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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