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Foster vs Bolster - What's the difference?

foster | bolster |

As nouns the difference between foster and bolster

is that foster is a forester while bolster is a large cushion or pillow.

As verbs the difference between foster and bolster

is that foster is to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child while bolster is to brace, reinforce, secure, or support.

As an adjective foster

is providing parental care to unrelated children.

As a proper noun Foster

is {{surname|A=An|English|from=occupations}}, variant of Forster.

foster

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Providing parental care to unrelated children.
  • Receiving such care
  • Related by such care

    • Noun

  • (countable, obsolete) A forester
  • (uncountable) The care given to another; guardianship

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child.
  • To cultivate and grow something.
    • Our company fosters an appreciation for the arts.
  • To nurse or cherish something.
  • (obsolete) To be nurtured or trained up together.
    • (Spenser)

    Antonyms

    * (cultivate and grow) hinder

    Derived terms

    * fosterable * fosterage * foster-child, foster child * fosterer * foster home * fosterhood * fostering * fosterment * foster parent

    Anagrams

    * * * * ----

    bolster

    English

    Alternative forms

    * * (Scotland)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A large cushion or pillow.
  • * Shakespeare
    • And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster , / This way the coverlet, another way the sheets.
  • A pad, quilt, or anything used to hinder pressure, support part of the body, or make a bandage sit easy upon a wounded part; a compress.
  • * John Gay
    • This arm shall be a bolster for thy head.
  • A small spacer located on top of the axle of horse-drawn wagons which give the front wheels enough clearance to turn.
  • A short, horizontal, structural timber between a post and a beam for enlarging the bearing area of the post and/or reducing the span of the beam. Sometimes also called a pillow or cross-head (Australian English).
  • The perforated plate in a punching machine on which anything rests when being punched.
  • The part of a knife blade that abuts upon the end of the handle.
  • The metallic end of a pocketknife handle.
  • (label) The rolls forming the ends or sides of the Ionic capital.
  • A block of wood on the carriage of a siege gun, upon which the breech of the gun rests when arranged for transportation.

    • Synonyms

    * Dutch wife

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To brace, reinforce, secure, or support.

    • Anagrams

    * ----