From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcushioncush‧ion1 /ˈkʊʃən/ ●●● S3 noun [countable] 1 
DHa cloth bag filled with soft material that you put on a chair or the floor to make it more comfortable → pillow a velvet cushion a cushion cover2 PROTECTsomething that stops one thing from hitting another thing Good sports shoes should provide a cushion when running.3 PROTECT[usually singular] something, especially money, that prevents you from being immediately affected by a bad situationcushion against Savings can act as a cushion against unemployment.4 DGSthe soft rubber edge of the table used for playing billiards or snooker
DHa cloth bag filled with soft material that you put on a chair or the floor to make it more comfortable → pillow a velvet cushion a cushion cover2 PROTECTsomething that stops one thing from hitting another thing Good sports shoes should provide a cushion when running.3 PROTECT[usually singular] something, especially money, that prevents you from being immediately affected by a bad situationcushion against Savings can act as a cushion against unemployment.4 DGSthe soft rubber edge of the table used for playing billiards or snookerExamples from the Corpus
cushion• In the familiar blue nightgown and flannel robe, Aunt Mary, propped against a cushion, sat next to me.• She sat cross-legged on a cushion on the floor.• Good shoes should provide a cushion when running on concrete.• Paul settles on a red and black cushion.• To build up a bigger financial cushion for emergencies.• The guests were offered cushions on the floor.• The Red Wings had a three-point cushion in the second period.• I made out what I could: My dear Irene, Thank you again for the cushions.• Benjy pushed the cushions back on to the couch.• The cushion was embroidered with a pattern of golden keys.• She hid it under cushions, in vases, under the stair carpet, and then forgot where she had put it.cushion against• Banks should have money to act as a cushion against possible losses from loans.cushioncushion2 verb [transitive] 1 PROTECTto make the effect of a fall or hit less painful, for example by having something soft in the way His landing was cushioned by the fresh snow that had fallen.2 PROTECTto protect someone from an unpleasant situation or the unpleasant effects of somethingcushion the blow/impact (of something) generous leaving allowances to help cushion the blow of redundancycushion somebody from/against something Many parents try to cushion their children from the outside world.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
cushion• Mattresses on the ground cushioned his fall.• Parachutes, a pair of small rockets and air bags will cushion its impact.• To cushion the blow, wages and pensions were increased.• Would she ring the warning bell that cushioned the little fellow from the worst of it?• But the spoils are enough to cushion the realisation that she will never be totally free of this marriage.cushion the blow/impact (of something)• It would take all we had just to cushion the impact.• The thick, air-filled bone of the skull helps to cushion the blow.• There was no way to cushion the blow.• Even where price increases have taken place, retailers with good stocks may be able to cushion the blow for a while.• The law will cushion the blow for homeowners by gradually phasing in the tax increases.• Additionally, two presidential decrees on March 23 had been designed to cushion the blow of the price rises.• To cushion the blow, wages and pensions were increased.• Many firms, it says, cushion the blow with new bonus schemes or lump sum payments.Origin cushion1 (1300-1400) Old French coissin, from Vulgar Latin coxinus, from Latin coxa “hip” 