What does "pillow" mean?
A soft cushion used to support the head in bed.
Pillow
/ˈpɪl.əʊ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A soft cushion used to support the head in bed.
- Grammar: pillow is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: afford support, air mattress, back, back up.
- Useful contrasts: hard surface, rigid surface.
- Usage evidence: Junk bond dealers left the market riding on a pillow of air.
How to use "pillow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pillow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pillow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pillow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pillow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pillow" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "afford support" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pillow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A soft cushion used to support the head in bed. countable, uncountable
"The appearance of the entire tomb is as if the warrior had seen the vision of Christ in his dying moments, and had fallen back peacefully upon his pillow, with his eyes still turned to it, and his hands clasped in prayer."
- 2 a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person wordnet
- 3 Any similar head support used for sleep, such as a neck pillow or a hard porcelain pillow. Example: She slept with her head on the pillow. countable, uncountable
- 4 A pillow lava. countable, uncountable
- 5 A piece of metal or wood, forming a support to equalize pressure; a brass; a pillow block. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A block under the inner end of a bowsprit. countable, uncountable
- 7 The socket of a pivot. countable, uncountable
- 8 A kind of plain, coarse fustian. uncountable
Verb
- 1 To rest as on a pillow. transitive
"...but Lucy was too thoroughly exhausted to awaken. There she lay, her head pillowed upon her arm, like a child that had cried itself to rest; while Francesca bent over her,..."
- 2 rest on or as if on a pillow wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
hard surfacerigid surface
Example
"Junk bond dealers left the market riding on a pillow of air."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pillow"?
Common synonyms include: afford support, air mattress, back, back up, bear, bear up.
How do you use "pillow" in a sentence?
Junk bond dealers left the market riding on a pillow of air.
How do you pronounce "pillow"?
Pronounced /ˈpɪl.əʊ/.
Etymology
From Middle English pilwe, from Old English pyle, pylu (“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. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Peel (“pillow”), Alemannic German Pfulme (“pillow”), Dutch peluw (“a long, narrow pillow”), German Pfühl (“a big and soft pillow”), German Low German Pöhl (“pad, pillow, cushion”).