hassock

American  

[has-uhk] / ˈhæs ək /

noun

1. a thick, firm cushion used as a footstool or for kneeling.

2. ottoman.

3. a rank tuft of coarse grass or sedge, as in a bog.

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hassock British  

/ ˈhæsək /

noun

1. a firm upholstered cushion used for kneeling on, esp in church

2. a thick clump of grass

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Etymology

Origin of hassock

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hassuc coarse grass

Explanation

A soft cushion for sitting, kneeling, or resting your feet on is a hassock. You can also call a hassock a tuffet, like Little Miss Muffet's tuffet in the nursery rhyme. One place you can find hassocks is in a church in which the congregation kneels during prayers. These hassocks are also known as kneelers. If your footrest has legs on it, it's a footstool, but if it doesn't, feel free to refer to it as a hassock. The oldest meaning of this word is "clump of grass." Experts guess that the "soft cushion" meaning of hassock came from its similarity to a soft clump of grass.

Example Sentences

Another 250,000 cubic yards will be transformed into 50 acres of marsh at Yellow Bar Hassock.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2010

On October 20, 1735, one hundred and sixty-three were mustered before Provost Hassock at Inverness.

From An Historical Account of the Settlements of Scotch Highlanders in America by MacLean, J. P. (John Patterson)

I am sure it would please Mr. Hassock.

From Young Folks Treasury, Volume 3 (of 12) Classic Tales and Old-Fashioned Stories by Mabie, Hamilton Wright

It forms the base, and is overlaid by the Hassock sands and the river drift.

From A Week's Tramp in Dickens-Land by Hughes, William R. (William Richard)

Buy a Mat, a Mil—Mat, Mat or a Hassock for your pew, A stopple for your close-stool, Or a Pesock to thrust your feet in.

From A History of the Cries of London Ancient and Modern by Hindley, Charles