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Cushion vs Pad - What's the difference?

cushion | pad |

As nouns the difference between cushion and pad

is that cushion is a soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag, used for comfort or support; for sitting on, kneeling on, resting one's head on etc while pad is a flattened mass of anything soft, to sit or lie on.

As verbs the difference between cushion and pad

is that cushion is to furnish with cushions while pad is to stuff.

As an interjection pad is

Indicating a soft flat sound, as of bare footsteps.

cushion

Noun

(en noun)
  • A soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag, used for comfort or support; for sitting on, kneeling on, resting one's head on etc.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
  • , title= , chapter=1 citation , passage=“There the cause of death was soon ascertained?; the victim of this daring outrage had been stabbed to death from ear to ear with a long, sharp instrument, in shape like an antique stiletto, which […] was subsequently found under the cushions of the hansom. […]”}}
  • * , chapter=12
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs, […], and all these articles […] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.}}
  • Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.
  • # A pad on which gilders cut gold leaf.
  • # A mass of steam in the end of the cylinder of a steam engine to receive the impact of the piston.
  • # (sports, billiards, snooker, pool) The lip around a table in cue sports which absorbs some of the impact of the billiard balls and bounces them back.
  • (figuratively) a sufficient quantity of an intangible object (like points or minutes) to allow for some of those points, for example, to be lost without hurting one's chances for successfully completing an objective.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=November 3, author=Arindam Rej, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Fulham 4-1 Wisla Krakow , passage=Wisla made a bright start to the second half and Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer was twice called into action, first saving Gervasio Nunez's deflected 20-yard effort and then smothering Gargula's free-kick.
    But Fulham soon had the cushion of a third goal after more outstanding build-up play.}}
  • (obsolete) A riotous dance, formerly common at weddings.
  • (Halliwell)

    See also

    * pillow * squab

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To furnish with cushions.
  • to cushion a sofa
  • To seat or place on, or as on a cushion.
  • * Bolingbroke
  • Many who are cushioned on thrones would have remained in obscurity.
  • To absorb or deaden the impact of.
  • to cushion a blow
  • To conceal or cover up, as under a cushion.
  • pad

    English

    Etymology 1

    1554, "bundle of straw to lie on", .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A flattened mass of anything soft, to sit or lie on.
  • A cushion used as a saddle without a tree or frame.
  • A soft, or small, cushion.
  • A cushion-like thickening of the skin on the under side of the toes of animals.
  • The mostly hairless flesh located on the bottom of an animal's foot or paw.
  • Any cushion-like part of the human body, especially the ends of the fingers.
  • A stuffed guard or protection, especially one worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.
  • A soft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc.
  • A sanitary napkin.
  • (US) A floating leaf of a water lily or similar plant.
  • (cricket) A soft cover for a batsman's leg that protects it from damage when hit by the ball.
  • A kind of cushion for writing upon, or for blotting, especially one formed of many flat sheets of writing paper; now especially such a block of paper sheets as used to write on.
  • A panel or strip of material designed to be sensitive to pressure or touch.
  • A keypad.
  • A flat surface or area from which a helicopter or other aircraft may land or be launched.
  • An electrical extension cord with a multi-port socket one end: "trip cord"
  • The effect produced by sustained lower reed notes in a musical piece, most common in blues music.
  • A synthesizer instrument sound used for sustained background sounds.
  • (US, slang) A bed.
  • (colloquial) A place of residence.
  • (cryptography) A random key (originally written on a disposable pad) of the same length as the plaintext.
  • A mousepad.
  • (nautical) A piece of timber fixed on a beam to fit the curve of the deck.
  • Derived terms
    {{der3, gamepad , incontinence pad , joypad , keypad , launchpad , mousepad , notepad , one-time pad , sleeping pad , touchpad , trackpad}}

    Verb

    (padd)
  • To stuff.
  • To furnish with a pad or padding.
  • To fill or lengthen (a story, one's importance, etc.).
  • The author began to pad her succinct stories with trite descriptions to keep up with current market trends.
    "Obama pads delegate lead ... with win in key western state."'' Austin American-Statesman ''newspaper, May 21, 2008.
  • To imbue uniformly with a mordant.
  • to pad cloth
  • (cricket) to deliberately play the ball with the leg pad instead of the bat.
  • Derived terms
    * well-padded

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) pade, padde, from (etyl) (m), from (etyl) , and possibly related to the (term)-like English paddle.

    Alternative forms

    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, dialectal) A toad.
  • Derived terms
    * *

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, dialectal, Australia, Ireland) A footpath, particularly one unformed or unmaintained; a road or track. See footpad.
  • An easy-paced horse; a padnag.
  • * Tennyson
  • an abbot on an ambling pad
  • (British, obsolete) A robber that infests the road on foot; a highwayman or footpad.
  • (Gay)
    (Byron)
  • The act of highway robbery.
  • Etymology 4

    an alteration of (ped).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, dialectal) A type of wickerwork basket, especially as used as a measure of fish or other goods.
  • (Simmonds)

    Etymology 5

    partly from (etyl), partly imitative.

    Verb

    (padd)
  • To travel along (a road, path etc.).
  • * Somerville
  • Padding the streets for half a crown.
  • To travel on foot.
  • To wear a path by walking.
  • To walk softly, quietly or steadily, especially without shoes.
  • * 1922 , (Margery Williams), (The Velveteen Rabbit)
  • Their feet padded softly on the ground, and they crept quite close to him, twitching their noses, while the Rabbit stared hard to see which side the clockwork stuck out...
  • (obsolete) To practise highway robbery.
  • * (Cotton Mather)
  • Their chief Argument is, That they never saw'' any Witches, therefore there are ''none''. Just as if you or I should say, We never met with any ''Robbers'' on the Road, therefore there never was any ''Padding there.

    Etymology 6

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • I heard her soft footsteps, pad''', '''pad along the corridor.

    Noun

    (-)
  • The sound of soft footsteps, or a similar noise made by an animal etc.
  • Anagrams

    * * * * English three-letter words ----