bolster

[ bohl-ster ]

/ ˈboʊl stər /

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See synonyms for: bolster / bolstered / bolstering on Thesaurus.com

noun

a long, often cylindrical, cushion or pillow for a bed, sofa, etc.

anything resembling this in form or in use as a support.

any pillow, cushion, or pad.

Nautical.

Also called bolster plate . a circular casting on the side of a vessel, through which an anchor chain passes.
a timber used as a temporary support.
a beam for holding lines or rigging without chafing.
a bag filled with buoyant material, fitted into a small boat.

Metalworking. an anvillike support for the lower die of a drop forge.

Masonry.

a timber or the like connecting two ribs of a centering.
a chisel with a blade splayed toward the edge, used for cutting bricks.

Carpentry. a horizontal timber on a post for lessening the free span of a beam.

a structural member on which one end of a bridge truss rests.

verb (used with object)

to support with or as with a pillow or cushion.

to add to, support, strengthen, or uphold (sometimes followed by up): They bolstered their morale by singing. He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.

OTHER WORDS FOR bolster

10 strengthen, sustain, aid, reinforce, fortify.

See synonyms for bolster on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bolster

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bolstre (noun), Old English bolster; cognate with Old Norse bolstr, Dutch bolster, German Polster

synonym study for bolster

1. See cushion.

OTHER WORDS FROM bolster

bol·ster·er, nounun·bol·ster, verb (used with object)

Words nearby bolster

Bolshie, Bolshoi Ballet, Bolshoi Theater, Bolshy, bolson, bolster, bolstered, bolt, bolt-action, bolt boat, boltel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bolster in a sentence

We recommend getting a bed with bolsters, which provide a sense of security and satisfies their natural instinct to dig and burrow.
Ergonomic dog beds to keep your pup cozy and comfortable|PopSci Commerce Team|March 2, 2021|Popular-Science
To bolster my case I told him we should actually call it Pursuito, like Vertigo or Psycho.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Low-income work was a necessity, either to make up for the absence of a man or to bolster his own low-income paycheck.
'Ghostbusters' and the Slow Emancipation of Female-Driven Comedy|Teo Bugbee|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Critics also argue the military assistance may be coming too late to bolster mainstream rebels.
U.S. on Alert for Al Qaeda Attack as Group Battles ISIS for Top Terrorist|Jamie Dettmer|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This will likely get worse as police bolster their web surveillance capabilities.
Al-Sisi’s Egypt Is Worse For Gays Than The Muslim Brotherhood|Bel Trew|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“This reduces a potential drag to the economy and will bolster growth for the remainder of 2014,” Handler notes.
The U.S. Economy Had a Hiccup, Not a Heart Attack, This Year|Daniel Gross|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After you have repeated the Correlation, then repeat the two extremes, thus—“Anchor” … “Bolster.”
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
The motive of this harmless ruse was to bolster up Spanish prestige and thereby avoid bloodshed.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
If there is no bolster, two pillows are sometimes laid flat in its place, and two pillows set on edge upon them.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman
If shams are used they should be spread over the pillows and bolster as smoothly as possible.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman
If you are preparing the bed for a stranger put the bolster and pillows back on the bed and allow the guest to arrange them later.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman

British Dictionary definitions for bolster

bolster

/ (ˈbəʊlstə) /

verb (tr)

(often foll by up) to support or reinforce; strengthento bolster morale

to prop up with a pillow or cushion

to add padding toto bolster a dress

noun

a long narrow pillow or cushion

any pad or padded support

architect a short horizontal length of timber fixed to the top of a post to increase the bearing area and reduce the span of the supported beam

a cold chisel having a broad blade splayed towards the cutting edge, used for cutting stone slabs, etc

Derived forms of bolster

bolsterer, nounbolstering, noun, adjective

Word Origin for bolster

Old English bolster; related to Old Norse bolstr, Old High German bolstar, Dutch bulster

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bolster

OTHER WORDS FOR bolster

Origin of bolster

synonym study for bolster

OTHER WORDS FROM bolster

Words nearby bolster

Words related to bolster

How to use bolster in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bolster

Derived forms of bolster

Word Origin for bolster