Webster's English Dictionary

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cushion

1. cush.ion \'ku.sh-*n\ n [ME cusshin, fr. MF coissin, fr. (assumed) VL 
   coxinus, fr. L] often attrib coxa hip - more at COXA 1: a soft pillow or 
   pad to rest on or against  2: a bodily part resembling a pad  3: something 
   resembling a cushion : as  3a: PILLOW  3b: RAT  3c: a pad of springy rubber 
   along the inside of the rim of a billiard table  3d: the head of a drill 
   brace  3e: a padded insert in a shoe  3f: a strip of soft resilient rubber 
   between the breaker and carcass of a p neumatic tire 3g: an artificial pool 
   provided to absorb the kinetic energy of falling wat er and so prevent 
   erosion 3h: an elastic body for reducing shock  3i: a mat laid under a 
   large rug to ease the effect of wear  4: something serving to mitigate the 
   effects of disturbances or disorders :  as 4a: a factor that lessens 
   adverse developments in the economy  4b: a medical procedure or drug that 
   eases a patient's discomfort 
2. cushion \-(*-)nin\ vt or cush.ion.ing 1: to seat or place on a cushion  
   2: to suppress by ignoring  3: to furnish with a cushion  4a: to mitigate 
   the effects of  4b: to protect against force or shock  5: to check 
   gradually so as to minimize shock of moving parts