cushioning

verb

1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present)present participle and gerund of cushion

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)Material used to cushion something.

   “Beneath them lay the calm sleeping waters of the lake, dotted with its beautiful islands […] while away in the distance, like a silver thread among the richest cushionings, the little river itself flowed peacefully onward in its course.”

2. (countable, neologism, slang, uncountable)The act or practice of someone entertaining other potential romantic options while in a committed relationship.