comforter

From Middle English comfortour et al, from Anglo-Norman confortour, from Old French conforter. See comfort.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌmfətə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌmfəɹtɚ/

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comforter (plural comforters)

1. A person who comforts someone who is suffering.

   Synonym: consoler

   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     Let no comforter delight mine ear / But such a one whose wrongs do suit with mine.

   • 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 511:

     The comforters, relaxed in sarongs after the day's work, kicked off their sandals at the top of Syed Omar's steps and made their obeisances to the wives, to the elder children, and to the gloomy head of the house.

   • 1988 April 9, Kevin Blackburn, “Penpals Needed for Prisoners with AIDS”, in Gay Community News, page 5:

     There are 157 men with AIDS/ARC in the small unit where I am housed. Many of us are abandoned by friends, family, lovers and spiritual comforters. And this is why I am reaching out to you.

2. (US) A padded cover for a bed, duvet, continental quilt.

   Synonyms: duvet, (continental) quilt

   • 1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 185:

     A vast quilt or comforter was heaped beside the bed, in a broad puddle of congealed blood, thick and shiny on the patterned rugs.

3. (dated, chiefly UK) A woollen scarf for winter.
   • 1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, “chapter 29”, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC:

     […] round his neck he wore a flaming red worsted comforter, whereof the straggling ends peeped out beneath his threadbare Newmarket coat, which was very tight and buttoned all the way up.

   • 1881 June, Felix L. Oswald, “Physical Education”, in Popular Science Monthly, page 148:

     The American schoolboy takes off his comforter and unbuttons his jacket before going in for a snowball fight.

   • 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Fate of the Artemis”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:

     “ […] Captain Markam had been found lying half-insensible, gagged and bound, on the floor of the sitting-room, his hands and feet tightly pinioned, and a woollen comforter wound closely round his mouth and neck; whilst Mrs. Markham's jewel-case, containing valuable jewellery and the secret plans of Port Arthur, had disappeared. […] ”

4. (New Zealand, Australia) A pacifier.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:pacifier

• Job's comforter

• recomfort