crash pad

noun

1. Slang.,  a place to sleep or live temporarily and at no cost.

2. padding inside cars, tanks, or the like, for protecting passengers in the event of an accident, sudden stop, etc.

crash pad

noun

1. slang,  a place to sleep or live temporarily

Word History and Origins

Origin of crash pad¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Idioms and Phrases

A free, temporary lodging place, as in The company maintains several crash pads for employees from out-of-town divisions. This expression originally referred to a place affording runaways, drug addicts, and the like somewhere to crash in the sense of “sleep.” In time it also was used more broadly, as in the example. [Slang; 1960s]

Example Sentences

“It was not uncommon for people to use my house as a crash pad, a party house. I know it’s horrible, but at least on a weekly basis friends were passing out at my house.”

From Los Angeles Times

Often, Rollinson would have to remind him to use a crash pad if he intended to try any diving, one-handed grabs on the practice field.

From Los Angeles Times

In a mostly quiet neighborhood of older homes and small apartment buildings, some residents have drawn their own no-go zones around what might sound like a crash pad for traveling backpackers: hostels.

From Los Angeles Times

Mauri moved into a cheap crash pad in Santa Monica, California, called Muscle House by the Sea.

From Slate

She shared an apartment with another code breaker in a rowhouse at 1633 Q St. NW, which became a crash pad of sorts for members of the military and others without a place to sleep.

From Washington Post