Forms: 2–5 bolstre, 5 bolstyr(e, (6 bolstarre, boylster), 6–8 boulster, 1, 5– bolster; Sc. 5 bowstowre, 6– bowster. [Com. Teut.: OE. bolster = MDu. and Du. bolster, OHG. bolstar (MHG. bolster, mod.G. polster). OE. bolster is cogn. w. ON. bolstr (Sw. bolster ‘bed,’ Da. bolster ‘bed-ticking’):—OTeut. *bolstro-z, f. OTeut. root *būl to swell, the causal of which is found in Goth. ufbauljan to puff up.]
1. A long stuffed pillow or cushion used to support the sleeper’s head in a bed; the name is now restricted to the under-pillow, stuffed with something firm, which extends from side to side, and on which the softer and flatter pillows are laid.
a. 1000. Beowulf, 2484. Beddum and bolstrum.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 139. He … ches … bare eorðe to bedde . and hard ston to bolstre.
c. 1425. Leg. Rood (1871), 210. With hym on bedde, man, þou sat On þe bolstre of heuene blisse.
1444. Test. Ebor. (1855), II. 100. Lectum plumarem cum le bolster.
1479. Will Walt. Paston, in Lett., III. 249. Unum pulvinar vocatum le bolstar.
1494. Act 11 Hen. VII., xix. Feather-beds, Bolsters, and Pillows.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 445. But bed or bowster to lig on the stro.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. i. 204. Heere Ile fling the pillow, there the boulster.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. xix. 13. And Michal … put a pillow of goats haire for his bolster.
1640. Brathwait (title), Art asleepe Husband? a Boulster Lecture; stored with witty Jests.
1688. Lond. Gaz., 22 Oct./2. The said Deponent stood at the Queens Bolster.
1837. Howitt, Rur. Life, III. iii. (1862), 246. Propped up in bed with bolsters and pillows.
b. A cushion o rpad for leaning or sitting upon, etc.
c. 1275. Death, 90, in O. E. Misc., 174. Neaver sitten on bolstre ne on benche.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 29. Furnished all round with Bolsters for leaning upon.
2. Applied to various things of the nature of a pad, used to obviate friction or chafing, or pad out hollows or deficiencies, etc.
† a. A surgical pad or compress to support or protect any injured part of the body. Obs.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg. Wherfore serueth the bolsters?… To stay and conpryme the places dissolued.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 327. Bolster the tent with a bolster of flax.
1758. Layard, in Phil. Trans., L. 749. He applied bolsters dipped in warm red wine and water.
1813. J. Thomson, Lect. Inflammation, 299. Application of bolsters or pads of lint … to prevent the matter exuding.
† b. A pad worn by porters. Obs.
1552. Huloet, Bolsters whyche bearers of burdens, as porters do weare for freatynge.
1580. Baret, Alv., B 905.
† c. A ridge of padding on a saddle. Obs.
1592. Greene, Art Conny catch., II. 5. His sadle … hath cantle and bolsters.
1611. Cotgr., Batte, the boulster of a Saddle.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Bolsters of a saddle … those parts which are raised on the bows, both before and behind, to rest the rider’s thighs…. Common saddles have no bolsters behind or even before.
† d. A padding in a garment used to fill up or round out some part. Obs.
1600. Rowlands, Lett. Humours Blood, vii. 83. A boulster for their Buttockes, and such stuffe.
1731. Swift, Nymph going to Bed, Wks. 1755, IV. I. 147. Off she slips The bolsters, that supply her hips.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., By a constitution, the clergy are forbidden to wear bolsters about their shoulders, in their gowns, coats, or doublets.
e. Naut. in pl. ‘Small cushions or bags of tarred canvas, used to preserve the stays from being chafed by the motion of the masts.’ Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk. Also pieces of timber fixed in various positions to prevent chafing between ropes and other parts of the ship.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Bolsters … are used to preserve the stays from being chafed or galled by the motion of the masts.
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 99. Bolsters for the Anchor Lining are solid pieces of oak, bolted to the ship’s side…. Bolsters for Sheets, Tacks, &c. are small pieces of fir or oak fayed under the gunwale, &c., with the outer surface rounded to prevent the sheets and other rigging from chafing.
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 76. The bolsters are bolted above the trussletrees.
f. A pad or cushion employed to deaden noise in pianofortes.
3. Applied to various parts of mechanism which form a solid support or base, on which other parts rest or exert pressure.
† a. Some part of a plow. Obs.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 4. But their most speciall temper is at the bolster, where as the plough beame lyeth.
1733. J. Tull, Horse-hoeing Husb., xxi. 145. Sometimes we use a Piece of Shoe-Leather instead of an iron bolster.
† b. A support for a bee-hive. Obs.
1609. C. Butler, Fem. Mon., v. (1623), K ij. Reare the full Hiue with three Bolsters, two on the West side, and one on the East, some foure or fiue inches high. Ibid. (1634), 47. Also rear the swarms, that being under-hived do lie forth, with a Skirt or Bolsters of that thickness, that may but let in the Bees.
c. The bearing for a water wheel shaft. dial.
1671. Phil. Trans., VI. 2108. A great beam, turned by an over-shoot-water-wheel on 2 boulsters.
d. A block of wood fixed on a siege-gun carriage, on which the breech rests during transport.
e. The transverse bar over the axle of a wagon, which supports the bed, and raises it from the axle. Also, the principal cross-beam of a railway truck or carriage body.
1686. Holme, Armory, III. viii. § 49. The Bolster is that on which the fore-wheels with the axle-tree turn in wheeling the waggon on a cross Road.
1834. Brit. Husb., I. 158. The shafts of the cart rest on the bolster of the waggon-wheels, to which they are secured; and a long copse, or fore-ladder resting also upon the bolster, projects over the shaft-horse.
f. The part of the pier or abutment on which a truss-bridge rests.
g. The spindle-bearing in the rail of a spinning-frame.
1825. Specif. of Andrew’s Patent, No. 5079. From the top of the spindle to the first bearing, which is denominated a bolster, is about 7 inches.
1873. Leigh, Cotton Spin., 219. The theory of the bolster rail lift is very plausible.
h. A horizontal cap-piece laid upon the top of a post or pillar, to shorten the bearing of the beam of a string-piece supported by it.
i. In the centering of an arch, each of the transverse pieces which lie across the ribs and support the voussoirs of the arch.
k. The plate or block in a punching-machine on which the metal to be punched is laid, and which is perforated or excavated to fit the punch.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 11. Your Punch will print a bunching mark upon the hole of a Bolster, that is, a thick Iron with a hole in it.
1790. Specif. of Clifford’s Patent, No. 1785. The nails are to be cut … by means of a punch … having a hollow boulster (commonly called a bed) the hollow and aperture of which must also be made to the size and form of the nail.
1856. Holtzapffel, Turning, II. 929. Punches when used in combination with bolsters, are clearly similar in their action to the shears with rectangular edges.
4. Applied to various things of the nature of a supporting or strengthening ridge.
a. The projecting ‘shoulder’ of a knife, chisel, etc., where the blade is inserted into the handle.
1827. Specif. of Smith’s Patent, No. 5470. To form the blade and bolster and tang at one and the same operation.
1831. J. Holland, Manuf. Metals, I. 291. The bolster, or that prominent part of a common table knife which abuts upon the handle.
b. The metallic plate on the end of the handle of a pocket-knife.
c. A raised ridge on the wrestplank of a piano to give bearing to the strings by raising them.
5. Arch. One of the rolls forming the sides of an Ionic capital; = BALUSTER 5.
1876. Gwilt, Archit., Gloss., Bolster or Pillow, the baluster part of the Ionic capital on the return side.
6. Comb., as bolster-piece.
1860. R. S. Burn, Handbk. Mech. Arts (ed. 2), 197. Where the tie-rods … join the ring at the angles, bolster-pieces are inserted, against which the nuts are screwed hard up.
