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bolster

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bolster


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Bolster  \Bol"ster\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Bolstered};  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Bolstering}.] 
  1.  To  support  with  a  bolster  or  pillow.  --S.  Sharp. 
 
  2.  To  support,  hold  up  or  maintain  with  difficulty  or 
  unusual  effort;  --  often  with  up 
 
  To  bolster  baseness.  --Drayton. 
 
  Shoddy  inventions  designed  to  bolster  up  a 
  factitious  pride.  --Compton 
  Reade. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Bolster  \Bol"ster\,  n.  [AS.  bolster;  akin  to  Icel.  b?lstr,  Sw  & 
  Dan.  bolster,  OHG.  bolstar,  polstar,  G.  polster;  from  the 
  same  root  as  E.  bole  stem,  bowl  hollow  vessel.  Cf  {Bulge}, 
  {Poltroon}.] 
  1.  A  long  pillow  or  cushion,  used  to  support  the  head  of  a 
  person  lying  on  a  bed;  --  generally  laid  under  the 
  pillows. 
 
  And  here  I'll  fling  the  pillow,  there  the  bolster, 
  This  way  the  coverlet,  another  way  the  sheets. 
  --Shak. 
 
  2.  A  pad,  quilt,  or  anything  used  to  hinder  pressure,  support 
  any  part  of  the  body,  or  make  a  bandage  sit  easy  upon  a 
  wounded  part  a  compress. 
 
  This  arm  shall  be  a  bolster  for  thy  head.  --Gay. 
 
  3.  Anything  arranged  to  act  as  a  support,  as  in  various  forms 
  of  mechanism,  etc 
 
  4.  (Saddlery)  A  cushioned  or  a  piece  part  of  a  saddle. 
 
  5.  (Naut.) 
  a  A  cushioned  or  a  piece  of  soft  wood  covered  with 
  tarred  canvas,  placed  on  the  trestletrees  and  against 
  the  mast,  for  the  collars  of  the  shrouds  to  rest  on 
  to  prevent  chafing. 
  b  Anything  used  to  prevent  chafing. 
 
  6.  A  plate  of  iron  or  a  mass  of  wood  under  the  end  of  a 
  bridge  girder,  to  keep  the  girder  from  resting  directly  on 
  the  abutment. 
 
  7.  A  transverse  bar  above  the  axle  of  a  wagon,  on  which  the 
  bed  or  body  rests. 
 
  8.  The  crossbeam  forming  the  bearing  piece  of  the  body  of  a 
  railway  car  the  central  and  principal  cross  beam  of  a  car 
  truck. 
 
  9.  (Mech.)  the  perforated  plate  in  a  punching  machine  on 
  which  anything  rests  when  being  punched. 
 
  10.  (Cutlery) 
  a  That  part  of  a  knife  blade  which  abuts  upon  the  end 
  of  the  handle. 
  b  The  metallic  end  of  a  pocketknife  handle.  --G. 
  Francis. 
 
  11.  (Arch.)  The  rolls  forming  the  ends  or  sides  of  the  Ionic 
  capital.  --G.  Francis. 
 
  12.  (Mil.)  A  block  of  wood  on  the  carriage  of  a  siege  gun, 
  upon  which  the  breech  of  the  gun  rests  when  arranged  for 
  transportation. 
 
  Note:  [See  Illust.  of  {Gun  carriage}.] 
 
  {Bolster  work}  (Arch.),  members  which  are  bellied  or  curved 
  outward  like  cushions,  as  in  friezes  of  certain  classical 
  styles. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  bolster 
  n  :  a  pillow  that  is  often  put  across  a  bed  underneath  the 
  regular  pillows  [syn:  {long  pillow}] 
  v  1:  support;  of  morale,  theories,  etc  [syn:  {support},  {bolster 
  up}] 
  2:  prop  up  with  a  pillow  or  bolster 
  3:  add  padding  to  "pad  the  seat  of  the  chair"  [syn:  {pad}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Bolster 
  The  Hebrew  word  _kebir_,  rendered  pillow"  in  1  Sam.  19:13,  16, 
  but  in  Revised  Version  marg.  quilt"  or  "network,"  probably 
  means  some  counterpane  or  veil  intended  to  protect  the  head  of 
  the  sleeper.  A  different  Hebrew  word  (meraashoth')  is  used  for 
  bolster"  (1  Sam.  26:7,  11,  16).  It  is  rightly  rendered  in 
  Revised  Version  "at  his  head."  In  Gen.  28:11,  18  the  Authorized 
  Version  renders  it  "for  his  pillows,"  and  the  Revised  Version 
  "under  his  head."  In  Ezek.  13:18,  20  another  Hebrew  word 
  kesathoth  is  used  properly  denoting  cushions"  or  "pillows," 
  as  so  rendered  both  in  the  Authorized  and  the  Revised  Version. 
 




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