pillow
pillow — noun
1. a soft stuffed item, usually covered in cloth, that you put under your head in b
a soft stuffed item, usually covered in cloth, that you put under your head in bed
Emma hugged the pillow and fell asleep before the movie ended.
pillow for sleeping in bed
Under his pillow, Daniel hid the letter from summer camp.
common phrase: under a pillow
The nurse raised Mia's pillow after the dentist pulled her tooth.
On the train, Leo used his coat as a pillow.
用法筆記
Often modified by words such as feather, soft, travel, or extra. Distinguish from noun sense 2, which is for chairs, sofas, or the floor rather than for sleeping in bed.
常見錯誤
2. a soft stuffed item placed on a chair, sofa, or floor so sitting feels more comf
a soft stuffed item placed on a chair, sofa, or floor so sitting feels more comfortable
Grandma put a blue pillow behind her back on the porch swing.
pillow behind your back on a seat
Two bright pillows made the old sofa look warmer.
decorative pillows on a sofa
Nora carried a floor pillow to the window and sat down.
A striped pillow softened the hard wooden bench by the door.
- cushion
the most general and widely used word for this sense
- throw pillow
usually a small decorative pillow on a sofa or chair
- seat pad
often flatter and made specifically for a chair seat
用法筆記
More usual in North American English. In many other varieties, cushion is the more expected word for this sense, while pillow first suggests the bed item in sense 1.
常見錯誤
pillow — verb
1. to place your head or another thing on a soft support, or on something used in t
to place your head or another thing on a soft support, or on something used in that way
After lunch, Ben pillowed his head on his folded sweater.
pillow + head + on + support
Taro pillowed his face on the table during the long speech.
pillow + face on something
On the bus, Priya pillowed against the window and slept.
Mina pillowed her cheek on the toy dog at nap time.
文法句型
pillow your head on something
pillow your cheek on something
pillow against a window
用法筆記
Usually used with head, cheek, or face, often followed by on or against. Distinguish from verb sense 2, where the supporting thing itself becomes the subject of the sentence.
常見錯誤
2. to be the thing under someone's head, neck, or cheek like a pillow
to be the thing under someone's head, neck, or cheek like a pillow
Jake's rolled-up jacket pillowed his neck on the flight home.
supporting object as subject
At camp, Mia's backpack pillowed her head beside the fire.
bag used as the support
The dog's warm side pillowed the child's cheek during the storm.
Folded twice, the towel pillowed Omar's head on the clinic bench.
文法句型
a jacket pillowed his head
a backpack pillowed her neck
a towel pillowed someone's cheek
用法筆記
The subject is usually a jacket, arm, bag, towel, or another soft object. Less common than verb sense 1 and mostly found in descriptive or literary writing.