■ noun
1》 a bag of cloth stuffed with a mass of soft material, used as a comfortable support for sitting or leaning on.
2》 something providing support or protection against impact.
↘the elastic lining of the sides of a billiard table, from which the ball rebounds.
■ verb
1》 soften the effect of an impact on.
2》 mitigate the adverse effects of: to ~ the blow, wages were increased.
Derivatives
~ed adjective
~y adjective
Origin
ME: from OFr. cuissin , based on a L. word meaning '~ for the hip', from coxa 'hip, thigh'.