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
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
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has pillowedperfect
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am pillowingprogressive
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are pillowingprogressive
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is pillowingprogressive
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have been pillowingperfect progressive
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has been pillowingperfect progressive
Past
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pillowedsimple
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had pillowedperfect
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was pillowingprogressive
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were pillowingprogressive
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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.
Other options, like the Therm-a-Rest Lumbar Travel Pillow, are designed to be tucked behind your lower back.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
Zayn did it in 2016 with Pillow Talk, but it was producer Naughty Boy who did it first with La La La featuring Sam Smith in 2013.
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025
The company became successful, performing at the Joyce Theater in New York, Jacob’s Pillow and collaborating with the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2023
Pillow fronts and backs are then cut by hand, intentionally finished 1 inch smaller than the fill to achieve the beautifully overstuffed look we love.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2023
She never contributed to Pillow Talk or the Feedbag Forum, and I had good reason to suspect it was she who had complained about the One Life to Live episodes.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
