pillow

English Online Dictionary. What means pillow‎? What does pillow mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English pilwe, from Old English pylwe, pylu, pyle (“pillow”), from Proto-West Germanic *pulwī (“pillow”), from Latin pulvīnus (“cushion”), derived from pulvis (“dust, powder”) +‎ -īnus (“-ine”), for the filler of a pillow. Doublet of pulvinus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɪləʊ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɪloʊ/
• (US, dialectal) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛloʊ/
• Rhymes: -ɪləʊ

Noun

pillow (countable and uncountable, plural pillows)

2. A soft cushion used to support the head in bed.
3. Any similar head support used for sleep, such as a neck pillow or a hard porcelain pillow.
4. (geology) A pillow lava.
5. (engineering) A piece of metal or wood, forming a support to equalize pressure; a brass; a pillow block.
6. (nautical) A block under the inner end of a bowsprit.
7. The socket of a pivot.
8. (uncountable) A kind of plain, coarse fustian.

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Maori: pera

Translations

Verb

pillow (third-person singular simple present pillows, present participle pillowing, simple past and past participle pillowed)

1. (transitive) To rest as on a pillow.