Bolsters

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. To provide additional support or reinforcement to something ; a long, narrow pillow used for support or decoration on furniture or beds
2. To strengthen or reinforce by adding support ; a cylindrical cushion often placed under other pillows or used for comfort when sitting or lying down
3. To boost the strength or effectiveness of an object or idea ; a firm pillow that is typically elongated, used for back or arm support

Etymology: "Bolsters" is the plural of "bolster," and the noun it comes from has been a bedding term for over a thousand years: Old English "bolster" meant "pillow," descended from a Proto-Germanic word for a pillow or cushion. The same root gave German "Polster," meaning a cushion or upholstery padding, and Swedish "bolster," a soft mattress, so the family of words has kept its comfortable, bed-related sense across the Germanic languages. The verb sense, to prop up or support something, grew out of the noun's idea of a padded support. A bolster is the thing that holds up a weight, and to bolster a argument or a currency is to prop it up in the same way. Meanwhile the Dutch cognate "bolster" took a different path and came to mean "husk" or "shell," a reminder that the root once also covered outer coverings.

Synonyms: supports, reinforcements, pillows, cushions, props

Antonyms: weaken, diminish, undermine, lessen, reduce