cushion

10 definitions • 14 examples

a bag made of cloth, plastic, or leather that is filled with soft material, often has an attractive cover, and is used especially on chairs for sitting or leaning on:

into a cushion She sank back into the cushions.

against a cushion He leaned back against the cushions and took a sip of his coffee.

a layer of air often used to support a machine or vehicle:

A hovercraft travels on a cushion of air.

in games such as billiards and snooker, the raised edge around the outside of the playing table:

The cue ball bounced back off the cushion.

I potted a red along the cushion into the corner pocket.

something that makes the effects of a bad situation less severe:

You should aim to build up a cushion of money in case of emergencies.

to make the effect or force of something softer:

cushion someone's fall The soft grass cushioned his fall.

The striker cushioned the ball on his chest and turned and volleyed it into the net.

a large, usually square bag filled with soft material, used as a movable part of a chair or sofa, for sitting on or resting your back against, or a similar but smaller bag used to make yourself more comfortable while sitting:

She sank back against the sofa cushions.

to soften or protect someone or something from the effects of a fall, moving too quickly into something, sitting or lying on a hard object, etc.:

The soft grass cushioned his fall (= made it hurt less).

to make the effect or force of something less severe:

For two years subsidies have cushioned the impact of accelerating inflation.

cushion sb/sth against sth Governments can use fiscal policy to cushion the economy against future recessions.

to make a bad situation less severe:

Earnings expectations are worsening, but interest rates are not expected to fall to cushion the blow.

something that makes the effects of a bad situation less severe:

You should aim to build up a cushion of three months' income in your savings account, for emergencies.