pillow
Americannoun
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pillows
plural
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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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pillows,
present (3rd person singular)
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pillowed,
past participle, past
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pillowing
present participle
-
to rest on or as on a pillow.
-
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)
-
pillows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pillowed,
past participle, past
-
pillowing
present participle
noun
-
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
-
to rest (one's head) on or as if on a pillow
-
to serve as a pillow for
Synonym Usage
See cushion.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pillowsimple
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pillowssimple
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have pillowedperfect
-
has pillowedperfect
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am pillowingprogressive
-
are pillowingprogressive
-
is pillowingprogressive
-
have been pillowingperfect progressive
-
has been pillowingperfect progressive
Past
-
pillowedsimple
-
had pillowedperfect
-
was pillowingprogressive
-
were pillowingprogressive
-
had been pillowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pillow
before 900; Middle English pilwe, Old English pylu < Latin pulvīnus cushion (whence also German Pfühl)
Explanation
A pillow is something you rest your head on while you sleep. Or, during a slumber party, a pillow could be used as a weapon. While in some cultures people have used hard pillows made of stone or wood, it's most common today to sleep with your head on a pillow stuffed with feathers or foam. Many people also have pillows on their chairs and sofas, either as decoration or to make them more comfortable. During a "pillow fight," playful combatants hit each other with soft pillows.
Vocabulary lists containing pillow
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.
See Examples For:
Minutes after an autistic 3-year-old lay her head on a Squishmallow stuffed toy and closed her eyes, Abigayle Hosking was ordered to take the makeshift pillow away and rouse the sleepy girl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Plutarch claimed that Alexander slept with Aristotle’s personally annotated “Iliad” under his pillow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
He's a top physiotherapist and knows the wrong pillow can be a pain in the neck.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
But they can change shape during the night, particularly if the sleeper moves around a lot and the pillow can end up bunched towards the headboard.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
She changed all of his bandages, washed his face, and got him a pillow to lay his head on.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
You embroider your philosophy on pillows and cushions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Alan Jones and Kelly Fewery also said their family was "absolutely exhausted" after sleeping on the floor of Dalaman Airport in Turkey without blankets or pillows.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
"We only go back home to get water, clothes, pillows, and then we... spend the nights here."
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Then I added the rigatoni and enough pasta water to turn the vegetables velvety, finishing each bowl with the crisp crumbs, little pillows of chèvre and torn basil.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Ophie went to her side to help rearrange the pillows but had to duck aside when Mrs. Caruthers slapped her hands away.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
Mr. Djiba, the mango seller, had hoped to sleep pillowed on a pile of life jackets on the boat, but a guard dislodged him, so he went into the restaurant.
From New York Times ● Sep. 25, 2022
But a new facade of pillowed concrete, along with arched skylights in the workshop areas, add touches of refinement to what is essentially a space to make artistic messes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2019
I raced through steep pine forests pillowed with heavy snow and frozen aspens, the Wasatch mountains rolling by in swirls of purple and brilliant white.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 18, 2016
So, in Bright Star, Keats is not just Romantic but romantic too: head pillowed upon fair Fanny’s breast, mooning about in blue velvet tails, he essentially speaks in his own verse.
From Slate ● Apr. 26, 2012
He massaged some life back into them and limped heavily to the table where the septon was snoring softly, his head pillowed on an open book in front of him.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
The musical orchestration pillowing their voices is lovely, the singing sincere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2024
He lay back, pillowing his head on his hands.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Kaede rolled over, pillowing her head on her bent arm to look at him.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
Kaede built the small fire as quickly as she could, and Con pulled Shae’s sleeping form toward it, pillowing her head on a rolled-up blanket.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
I lie facedown on her bed, pillowing my head on my arms, completely drained in the aftermath of a hellish morning.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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