pillow

1 of 2

noun

pil·​low ˈpi-(ˌ)lō 

1

a

: a support for the head of a reclining person

especially : one consisting of a cloth bag filled with feathers, down, sponge rubber, or plastic fiber

b

: something resembling a pillow especially in form

2

: a cushion or pad tightly stuffed and used as a support for the design and tools in making lace with a bobbin

pillowy

ˈpi-lə-wē 

adjective

pillow

2 of 2

verb

pillowed; pillowing; pillows

transitive verb

1

: to rest or lay on or as if on a pillow

2

: to serve as a pillow for

intransitive verb

: to lay or rest one's head on or as if on a pillow

Examples of pillow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The brief teaser included raucous footage of their various children, who range in age from 10 years old to 19 months, screaming, pillow fighting and frolicking on the couch. —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024

Thankfully, Amazon just released an ultra-supportive, memory foam neck pillow from Flyhugz to combat this problem at the source, propping up your head from multiple angles for more restful sleep on the go. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2024

Finally, the guidance suggests rather than packing a bulky pillow, campers can stuff a pillowcases with clothing. —Mason Leib, ABC News, 3 June 2024

Shoppers are also gravitating toward these fluffy bed pillows, which are marked down to just under $11 apiece. —Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 27 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pilwe, from Old English pyle (akin to Old High German pfuliwi), from Latin pulvinus

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1629, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pillow

• pillow block
• pillow fight
• pillow lace
• pillow slip
• pillow talk
• throw pillow

Kids Definition

pillow

1 of 2 noun

pil·​low ˈpil-ō 

: a bag filled with soft or springy material used as a cushion usually for the head of a person lying down

pillow

2 of 2 verb

1

: to place on or as if on a pillow

2

: to serve as a pillow for