different between cushion vs protector

English

Etymology

From Middle English cusshon, cuschen, quesshon, from later Old French coissin (modern coussin), from Vulgar Latin *cox?nus (“seat pad”), derived from Latin coxa (“hip, thigh”) with the suffix possibly after Latin pulv?nus (“pillow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k???n/
• Rhymes: -???n

Noun

cushion (countable and uncountable, plural cushions)

1. 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.
2. Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.
   1. A pad on which gilders cut gold leaf.
   2. A mass of steam in the end of the cylinder of a steam engine to receive the impact of the piston.
   4. (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.
   5. The pillow used in making bone lace.
   6. An engraver's pad.
   7. (historical) The rubber of an electrical machine.
   8. (historical) A pad supporting a woman's hair.
3. (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.
   1. (finance, countable, uncountable) Money kept in reserve.
      • 2007, Belverd Needles, Marian Powers, Financial Accounting: Media Enhanced (page 826)

        Interest coverage is important because it is an indicator of how much cushion a company has in making its interest payments.

      • 2013, Stijn Claessens, Kirsten Forbes, International Financial Contagion (page 85)

        If one of the banks has a significant enough cushion of capital and a strong enough balance sheet, then it would not experience a bank run, and the domino effect in panel A would not have occurred.

4. (obsolete) A riotous dance, formerly common at weddings.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Descendants

Translations

See also

• pillow
• squab

Verb

cushion (third-person singular simple present cushions, present participle cushioning, simple past and past participle cushioned)

1. To furnish with cushions.

   to cushion a sofa

2. To seat or place on, or as on a cushion.
   • 1734, Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, A Dissertation on Parties

     How many doughty monarchs, in later and more polite ages, would have slept in cottages, and have worked in falls, instead of inhabiting palaces, and being cushioned up in thrones, if this rule of government had continued in force ?

3. To absorb or deaden the impact of.

   to cushion a blow

   • 1903, Edward Porritt, "Poynings' Law", The Unreformed House of Commons Vol.II p.429 (CUP):

     the development of popular interest in Parliament made it less possible for the Privy Council in Dublin to cushion a bill which the Commons had presented to the Lord Lieutenant

4. To conceal or cover up, as under a cushion.

Translations

References

English

Alternative forms

• protectour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English protectour, from Anglo-Norman protectour, protector, from Latin pr?tector, from pr?teg? (“shield, protect”). Displaced native Old English ?es?ildend.

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: pr?-t?k't?r, IPA^(key): /p???t?kt?/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /p???t?kt?/
• Rhymes: -?kt?(?)
• Hyphenation: pro?tec?tor

Noun

protector (plural protectors, feminine protectress or protectrix)

1. Someone who protects or guards, by assignment or on their own initiative.
   • 2005 January 3, Jon Huntsman Jr., quoted in “Highlights from Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s inauguration speech”, Deseret News, 4 January 2005:

     I stand before you in the spirit of pure public service — not as a protector of the status quo, but as an agent of change.

2. A device or mechanism which is designed to protect.
3. One who prevents interference. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
4. A state or other subject under international law, exercising a protectorate over another subject in international law.
5. (Britain, historical) One having the care of the kingdom during the king's minority; a regent.
6. (Roman Catholicism) A cardinal, from one of the more considerable Roman Catholic nations, who looks after the interests of his people at Rome; also, a cardinal who has the same relation to a college, religious order, etc.

Synonyms

• guard
• sentry

Related terms

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin pr?t?ctor.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /p?o.t?k?to/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /p?u.t?k?to/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /p?o.tek?to?/

Adjective

protector (feminine protectora, masculine plural protectors, feminine plural protectores)

1. protective (serving to protect)

Noun

protector m (plural protectors, feminine protectora)

1. protector (someone who protects or guards)

protector m (plural protectors)

1. protector (a device or mechanism which is designed to protect)

Related terms

• protecció
• protegir

Further reading

• “protector” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “protector” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “protector” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “protector” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Dutch

Etymology

From Latin pr?tector, from pr?teg? (“to shield, protect”).

Pronunciation

Noun

protector m (plural protectoren, diminutive protectortje n)

1. A protector, guardian, regent etc.
2. (rare) Title of certain orphanage governors

Synonyms

• behoeder m
• beschermer m
• beschermheer m
• protecteur m (close French cognate)

Derived terms

• lord-protector m
• protectorschap n

Related terms

• protectie
• protectoraat n

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /pro??te?k.tor/, [p?o??t?e?kt??r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /pro?tek.tor/, [p???t??kt??r]

Noun

pr?t?ctor m (genitive pr?t?ct?ris); third declension

1. protector (all senses)
2. guardian; guard

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Descendants

References

• protector in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• protector in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• protector in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Portuguese

Noun

protector m (plural protectores, feminine protectora, feminine plural protectoras)

1. Superseded spelling of protetor. (superseded in Brazil by the 1943 spelling reform and by the Orthographic Agreement of 1990 elsewhere. Still used in countries where the agreement hasn’t come into effect and as an alternative spelling in Portugal.)

Adjective

protector m (feminine singular protectora, masculine plural protectores, feminine plural protectoras, comparable)

1. Superseded spelling of protetor. (superseded in Brazil by the 1943 spelling reform and by the Orthographic Agreement of 1990 elsewhere. Still used in countries where the agreement hasn’t come into effect and as an alternative spelling in Portugal.)

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin pr?t?ctor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?ote??to?/, [p?o.t?e???t?o?]

Adjective

protector (feminine protectora or protectriz, masculine plural protectores, feminine plural protectoras or protectrices)

1. protective

Derived terms

• ángel protector
• cinta adhesiva protectora

Noun

protector m (plural protectores, feminine protectora or protectriz, feminine plural protectoras or protectrices)

1. protector (someone who protects or guards)

Noun

protector m (plural protectores)

1. protector (a device or mechanism which is designed to protect)

Related terms

Further reading

• “protector” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.