pillow
Americannoun
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a bag or case made of cloth that is filled with feathers, down, or other soft material, and is used to cushion the head during sleep or rest.
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anything used to cushion the head; headrest.
a pillow of moss.
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Also called lace pillow. a hard cushion or pad that supports the pattern and threads in the making of bobbin lace.
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a supporting piece or part, as the block on which the inner end of a bowsprit rests.
verb (used with object)
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to rest on or as on a pillow.
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to support with pillows.
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to serve as a pillow for.
She pillowed the child with her body.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a cloth case stuffed with feathers, foam rubber, etc, used to support the head, esp during sleep
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Also called: cushion. a padded cushion or board on which pillow lace is made
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anything like a pillow in shape or function
verb
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to rest (one's head) on or as if on a pillow
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to serve as a pillow for
Related Words
See cushion.
Other Word Forms
- pillowless adjective
- pillowlike adjective
- unpillowed adjective
Etymology
Origin of pillow
before 900; Middle English pilwe, Old English pylu < Latin pulvīnus cushion (whence also German Pfühl)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They went out for boba tea and at a sleepover at their grandmother’s, she looked through family albums and held a pillow with his photo printed on it.
The mattress, blanket and pillows were surprisingly cozy.
Apparently she wants skin cream, candles, cheap jewelry, expensive pajamas, aromatherapy shower pods, and a pillow that does heated shiatsu massage.
From Barron's
You want your marshmallows to be as small as possible to make sure they get properly melted and toasted and everyone gets some of those sugary pillows in their serving.
From Salon
Layer in a few tactile moments: handwritten menus or place cards if that’s your vibe, or simply a stack of good blankets and genuinely comfortable pillows for that glorious post-meal sprawl on the couch.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
