bolster (bolster)

[Early mod. E. also boul ster, Sc. bowster; cally, a long cylindrical cushion stuffed with feathers, hair, straw, or other materials, and generally laid under the pillows. Perhaps some cold bank is her bolster now. Milton , Comus, 1. 353. 2. Something resembling a bolster in form or out like a sail. B. Jonson, King James's Coronation Entertainment. Same as bowler1 . See bully tree . See bullimong . cannot exceed 50,000,000 bolivars. use. Specifically-(a) Any kind of padding about a dre , such as the cylindrical rolls or cushions, called bearers, formerly worn by women to support and puff out their skirts at the hips. A gown of green cloth made with bolsters stuffed with wool. Quoted in N. and Q., 7th ser., III. 318. (b) A pad or quilt used to prevent pre ure, support any part of the body, or make a bandage sit easy upon a wound The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: Dictionary bolster ed part; a compre . (c) A cushioned or padded part of a saddle. (d) Naut., pl., picces of soft wood covered with tarred canvas, placed under the eyes of the rigging to prevent chafing from the sharp edge of the trestletrees. (e) A part of a bridge intervening between the tru and the masonry. (f) In cutlery, the part of such instruments and tools as knives, chisels, etc., which adjoins the end of the handle; also, a metallic plate on the end of a pocket-knife handle. (g) In gun,, a block of wood on the carriage of a siege-gun, upon which the breech of the gun rests when it is moved. (h) In arch., same as baluster, 2. (i) In music, the raised ridge which holds the tuning-pins of a piano. () A cap-piece or short timber placed at the top of a post as a bearing for a string-piece. ( k ) A perforated wooden block upon which sheet-metal is placed to be punched. (1) A sleeve-bearing through which a spindle pa es. (m) In stone-sawing, one of the loose wooden blocks against which the ends of the pole of the saw rest. (n) A bar placed transversely over the Wagon-bolster. a, axle-bar; b, bolster. IMG:content-2286.png:[ocr errors] axle of a wagon or in the middle of a car-truck to sup port the body. (0) One of the transverse pieces of an arch centering, extending between the ribs and sustaining the vou oirs during construction. - Bob at the bolster. Same as cushion -dance. - Compound bolster, in car building, a bolster formed of timbers stiffened by vertical iron plates. IMG:content-2287.png:[blocks in formation] bolster (bol's ter), v. t. [ bolster , n.] 1. To a support with a bolster. Suppose I bolster him up in bed, And fix the crown again on his brow? IMG:content-2288.png:[blocks in formation] a, carriage-bolt; &, tirebolt; c, wagon - skein bolt. bolt