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
-
pillowsimple
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pillowssimple
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have pillowedperfect
-
has pillowedperfect
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am pillowingprogressive
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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:
Plutarch claimed that Alexander slept with Aristotle’s personally annotated “Iliad” under his pillow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
You may have seen those people at the airport - a pillow stuffed under an arm as they drag their suitcases to check-in.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
If you have a bigger bend "it means you need a slightly thicker pillow than someone who's got a very flat back," says McCarthy.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
He's a top physiotherapist and knows the wrong pillow can be a pain in the neck.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
I think she’s too hungry to nap, but I sing, “Nutty up, nutty down, nutty turn yourself around. Nutty pillow, nutty bed, nutty covers over your head,” and she climbs in bed.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Specialist pillows are often advertised as contoured, ergonomic or orthopaedic - but McCarthy says their effectiveness isn't completely proven.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Sales of nonfood items—throw pillows, kitchen gadgets and apparel—tend to garner higher margins and aren’t categories where Walmart already dominates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The toppings are market-flexible, too: Use whatever chèvre or goat cheese you find, whether it crumbles into little pillows or lands in soft clouds, and turn a leftover hunk of cornbread into crisp, salty crumbs.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Reusable ice packs, freezer blocks or cooling pillows may help some people feel more comfortable.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Overstuffed pillows, fluffy bath mats, floral-print shower curtains, pastel comforter sets, four-hundred-thread-count cotton sheets, and dishes, all in the calm shades of baby nurseries.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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
Early morning, I was on a sleep cloud, tucked in on a pillowed four-poster bed, a slow ceiling fan ruffling a pinned-up muslin mosquito net.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 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 sat and watched the freckled face, still peacefully asleep, pillowed on the palm of her hand.
From "1984" by George Orwell
The musical orchestration pillowing their voices is lovely, the singing sincere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2024
Kaede rolled over, pillowing her head on her bent arm to look at him.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
He lay back, pillowing his head on his hands.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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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