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.
He added: "Just the fact that I found it so normal, in a sad way, that it was okay to just put my head on the pillow and fall asleep."
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
He had apologised to his wife for leaving onboard a token from his son -- a small pillow.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
She got to choose her pillow from an extensive menu.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
Then one day when I hit record, I had the neck pillow on and I just didn’t care.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026
The door was ajar, and the sight of his bed with the red plaid sheets and the New York Jets pillow he and Tom had gotten after a game immediately made him relax.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
