Dictionary.com

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)
  1. a cushioned couch kept in readiness for any visitation of a god.
  2. 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

BECOME A PRO CHEF WITH THIS EXQUISITE CUISINE QUIZ!

Even if you can't be a professional chef, you can at least talk like one with this vocabulary quiz.
Question 1 of 9
You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

Words nearby pulvinar

pulv., pulverable, pulverize, pulverulent, pulvillus, pulvinar, pulvinate, pulvinus, puma, pumelo, pumice
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pulvinar

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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.