upholster

Everyday

1. To cover a chair, sofa or car seat with padding, springs and cloth or leather so it is soft to sit on. tree →
2. (upholstered, as an adjective) Covered with soft padding and fabric, like an upholstered armchair. tree →

In the lessons

Used about furniture, cars and the work of a craftsperson called an upholsterer; in stories it shows comfort or wealth (a velvet-upholstered seat). Phrases: upholster a sofa, re-upholster an old chair, upholstered in leather, upholstery fabric. In design and technology lessons it names a real trade.

Examples

• My grandad learned to upholster chairs when he was young. tree →
• We are going to upholster the old sofa in blue fabric. tree →
• The car seats are upholstered in grey cloth. tree →
• She re-upholstered the dining chairs herself. tree →
• The cinema had soft red upholstered seats. tree →
• It costs a lot to have a big armchair upholstered. tree →
• The cat scratched the upholstery to bits. tree →

Note

Regular verb: upholstered, upholstering. The person is an upholsterer; the materials and the job are upholstery (uncountable). Spelling trap: up-hol-ster, not "upholdster". Re-upholster means to do it again with new cloth.