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Added 9 October 2026

pillow

/ˈpɪ.ləʊ/ noun

In Latin: cervīcal, pulvīnus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about pillow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A cushion to support the head of a sleeping person.

verb

Rest on or as if on a pillow.
pillow your head

Origin

From Middle English pilwe, from Old English pyle, pylu (“pillow”), from Proto-West Germanic *pulwī (“pillow”), from Latin pulvīnus (“cushion”), derived from pulvis (“dust”), 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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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