bolster

[bohl-ster]

noun

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

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

3. any pillow, cushion, or pad.

4. Nautical.

   1. Also called bolster plate. a circular casting on the side of a vessel, through which an anchor chain passes.

   2. a timber used as a temporary support.

   3. a beam for holding lines or rigging without chafing.

   4. a bag filled with buoyant material, fitted into a small boat.

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

6. Masonry.

   1. a timber or the like connecting two ribs of a centering.

   2. a chisel with a blade splayed toward the edge, used for cutting bricks.

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

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

verb (used with object)

1. to support with or as with a pillow or cushion.

2. to add to, support, strengthen, or uphold (sometimes followed byup ).

   They bolstered their morale by singing.

   He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.

   Synonyms: fortify, reinforce, aid, sustain, strengthen

bolster

/ ˈbəʊlstə /

verb

1. (often foll by up) to support or reinforce; strengthen

   to bolster morale

2. to prop up with a pillow or cushion

3. to add padding to

   to bolster a dress

noun

1. a long narrow pillow or cushion

2. any pad or padded support

3. 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

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

Other Word Forms

• bolsterer noun
• unbolster verb (used with object)
• bolstering noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bolster¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bolster¹

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

Synonym Study

See cushion.

Example Sentences

Crucially, the firm expects Oklo’s reactor buildouts to be financed with debt and supported by investment tax credits, a mix that “could help bolster long-term returns on capital with, potentially, minimal requirements for additional equity.”

Read more on Barron's

The announcement helped bolster Altman’s vision for computing power and lifted the stocks of chip suppliers across the world.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Some banks had distanced themselves from hot-button industries during the Biden administration to bolster their environmental, social and corporate-governance credentials or because the regulators at the time viewed them as risky.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

That is damping bets that there will be another rate increase this year, though consumer inflation has stayed well above the BOJ’s 2% target this year, bolstering the case for tighter monetary policy.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The deal also highlights a challenge to bolstering supplies of the commodity: Many miners determine it is easier and cheaper to buy rather than build mines.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• aid 
• boost 
• buoy 
• buttress 
• cushion 
• help 
• maintain 
• reinforce 
• shore up 
• strengthen 
• support 
• sustain