pulvinar

[ puhl-vahy-ner ]

/ pʌlˈvaɪ nər /

noun, plural pul·vi·nar·i·a [puhl-vuh-nair-ee-uh] /ˌpʌl vəˈnɛər i ə/.

(in ancient Rome)

a cushioned couch kept in readiness for any visitation of a god.
a cushioned seat at a circus.

Also called pulvinus. (on an Ionic capital) either of two convex forms having on their ends two of the volutes.

adjective

pulvinate(def 3).

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following bird names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby pulvinar

pulv., pulverable, pulverize, pulverulent, pulvillus, pulvinar, pulvinate, pulvinus, puma, pumelo, pumice

Origin of pulvinar

1590–1600; (noun) < Latin pulvīnar cushioned couch, equivalent to pulvīn(us) cushion + -ar, shortening of -āre, neuter of āris -ar¹; (adj.) pulvin(us) + -ar¹

Example sentences from the Web for pulvinar

And upon taking his wife again, after the divorce, he declared by proclamation, "that he had recalled her to his pulvinar."
The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars, Complete|C. Suetonius Tranquillus
But I do not approve of his witnessing the Circensian games from the Pulvinar.
The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars, Complete|C. Suetonius Tranquillus

Medical definitions for pulvinar

pulvinar

[ pŭl-vī′nər ]

n.

The posterior extremity of the thalamus, forming a cushionlike prominence over the posterior aspect of the internal capsule.