Botany. 1  a tuft of silky hairs at the end of a seed. 2  the leafy crown of a tree; cluster of leaves at the end of a stem. 3  a terminal cluster of bracts, as in the pineapple.
The flexible pads are called base-isolators, whereas the structures protected by means of these devices are called base-isolated buildings. The main feature of the base isolation technology is that it introduces flexibility in the structure.
Typical vibration isolators employ a helical spring to provide stiffness, and an elastomeric layer (such as neoprene) to provide some damping. Other types use a solid elastomeric element for both the stiffness and the damping. Some commercially available isolators are shown in Figures 4 and 5.