cushion vs fender

cushion

noun
  • The rubber of an electrical machine. 

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • A pad on which gilders cut gold leaf. 

  • The lip around a table in cue sports which absorbs some of the impact of the billiard balls and bounces them back. 

  • A mass of steam in the end of the cylinder of a steam engine to receive the impact of the piston. 

  • An engraver's pad. 

  • Money kept in reserve. 

  • The pillow used in making bone lace. 

  • A pad supporting a woman's hair. 

  • The dancer in the cushion dance who currently holds the cushion, or the dance itself. 

verb
  • To furnish with cushions. 

  • To absorb or deaden the impact of. 

  • To seat or place on, or as on a cushion. 

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

fender

noun
  • panel of a car which encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels 

  • a low metal framework in front of a fireplace, intended to catch hot coals, soot, and ash 

  • any shaped cushion-like object normally made from polymers, rubber or wood that is placed along the sides of a boat to prevent damage when moored alongside another vessel or jetty, or when using a lock, etc. Modern variations are cylindrical although older wooden version and rubbing strips can still be found; old tyres are used as a cheap substitute 

  • a shield, usually of plastic or metal, on a bicycle that protects the rider from mud or water 

verb
  • To use fenders to protect the side of a boat 

How often have the words cushion and fender occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )