cushion

[ koosh-uhn ]

/ ˈkʊʃ ən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR cushion ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a soft bag of cloth, leather, or rubber, filled with feathers, air, foam rubber, etc., on which to sit, kneel, or lie.

anything similar in form, used to dampen shocks or to prevent excessive pressure or chafing.

something to absorb or counteract a shock, jar, or jolt, as a body of air or steam.

something that lessens the effects of hardship, distress, or the like: His inheritance was a cushion against unemployment.

Anatomy, Zoology. any part or structure resembling a cushion.

the resilient raised rim encircling the top of a billiard table.

a pad worn under the hair by women.

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.

Ice Hockey, Canadian. the iced surface of a rink.

a pillow used in lacemaking.

a leather pad on which gold leaf is placed preparatory to gilding.

verb (used with object)

to place on or support by a cushion.

to furnish with a cushion or cushions.

to cover or conceal with, or as if with, a cushion.

to lessen or soften the effects of: to cushion the blow to his pride.

to suppress (complaints, lamentations, etc.) by quietly ignoring.

to check the motion of (a piston or the like) by a cushion, as of steam.

to form (steam or the like) into a cushion.

Origin of cushion

1300–50; Middle English cuisshin < Anglo-French; Middle French coussin ≪ Latin cōx(a) hip + -īnus -ine¹; see coxa

SYNONYMS FOR cushion

1 pad.

3 shock absorber.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR cushion ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for cushion

1. 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.

OTHER WORDS FROM cushion

cush·ion·less, adjective cush·ion·like, adjective un·cush·ioned, adjective well-cush·ioned, adjective

Words nearby cushion

cushing, cushing's disease, cushing's syndrome, cushing's syndrome medicamentosus, cushingoid, cushion, cushion cut, cushion pink, cushion plant, cushion rafter, cushiony

Example sentences from the Web for cushion

I could give my parents this relief, this cushion that they never had.

He Bullies Kids and Calls It News |Brandy Zadrozny |June 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Once you have a bit of a cushion, we take 25% of your money.

Here's One Version of a Pro-Family Tax Policy |Justin Green |February 19, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Ideally, we'd be growing fast now, to cushion against the inevitable slowdown.

All We Need is Growth |Megan McArdle |January 28, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Obama won it by 10 percent, so he has a cushion here as well.

Michael Tomasky Makes His Election 2012 Predictions |Michael Tomasky |November 6, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

But whatever the truth there, Obama still has a cushion in the state.

What Does and Doesn't Matter About Wisconsin |Michael Tomasky |June 4, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
"'Cause if I lean back against the cushion my feet won't touch the stool," she said.

Daisy's Work |Joanna H. (Joanna Hooe) Mathews
You will find that the cushion business, and the mandolin business, and all that sort of thing, do not go in real life.

The Young Man and the World |Albert J. Beveridge
Esmeralda turned her head on the cushion, and looked at him with a lazy smile.

Pixie O'Shaughnessy |Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
Finish by tacking a handsome fringe all round the cushion, so as to conceal the binding.

Miss Leslie's Lady's New Receipt-Book |Eliza Leslie
He thought the cushion edged up-hill very oddly, and the seat seemed very hard.

Lady Daisy and Other Stories |Caroline Stewart

British Dictionary definitions for cushion

cushion

/ (ˈkʊʃən) /

noun

a bag made of cloth, leather, plastic, etc, filled with feathers, air, or other yielding substance, used for sitting on, leaning against, etc

something resembling a cushion in function or appearance, esp one to support or pad or to absorb shock

the resilient felt-covered rim of a billiard table

another name for pillow (def. 2)

short for air cushion

a capital, used in Byzantine, Romanesque, and Norman architecture, in the form of a bowl with a square top

verb (tr)

to place on or as on a cushion

to provide with cushions

to lessen or suppress the effects of

to protect, esp against hardship or change

to check the motion of (a mechanism) gently, esp by the compression of trapped fluid in a cylinder
to provide with a means of absorbing shock

Derived forms of cushion

cushiony, adjective

Word Origin for cushion

from Latin culcita mattress

Medical definitions for cushion

cushion

[ kush′ən ]

n.

A padlike body part.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

cushion

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of cushion

SYNONYMS FOR cushion

synonym study for cushion

OTHER WORDS FROM cushion

Words nearby cushion

Example sentences from the Web for cushion

British Dictionary definitions for cushion

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of cushion

Word Origin for cushion

Medical definitions for cushion

n.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

cushion

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of cushion

SYNONYMS FOR cushion

synonym study for cushion

OTHER WORDS FROM cushion

Words nearby cushion

Words related to cushion

Example sentences from the Web for cushion

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for cushion

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of cushion

Word Origin for cushion

Medical definitions for cushion

n.

British Dictionary definitions for cushion