Link Centre Dictionary

bolster

bols·ter

UK/ˈbɒlstə/ US/ˈbəʊlstə/ uncommon
verb (3) noun (1)

verb

1.

support and strengthen

  • “bolster morale”
Synonyms
2.

prop up with a pillow or bolster

3.

add padding to

  • “pad the seat of the chair”
Synonyms

noun

1.

a pillow that is often put across a bed underneath the regular pillows

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English bolster, bolstre, from Old English bolster (“pillow”), from Proto-West Germanic *bolstr, from Proto-Germanic *bulstraz (“pillow, cushion”). Cognate with Scots bowster (“bolster”), West Frisian bulster (“mattress”), Dutch bolster (“husk, shell”), German Polster (“bolster, pillow, pad”), Swedish bolster (“soft mattress, bolster”), Icelandic bólstur (“pillow”).

Phrases

  • bogie bolster wagon
  • bolster wagon

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.