Pillow vs. Cushion — What's the Difference?

A pillow is a support of the body at rest for comfort, therapy, or decoration. Pillows are used by many species, including humans.

A cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, usually stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften the hardness or angularity of a chair or couch.

A cloth case stuffed with something soft, such as down, feathers, or foam rubber, used to cushion a part of the body, especially the head during sleep.

A pad or pillow with a soft filling, used for resting, reclining, or kneeling.

A decorative cushion.

Something resilient used as a rest, support, or shock absorber.

The pad on which bobbin lace is made.

A mat placed or attached beneath carpeting to provide softness and increase durability.

To rest (one's head) on or as if on a pillow.

A padlike body part.

To serve as a pillow for

(Games) The rim bordering the playing surface of a billiard table.

To rest on or as if on a pillow.

A pillow used in lacemaking.

To assume the shape of a pillow.

Something that mitigates or relieves an adverse effect

A soft cushion used to support the head in bed.

To provide with a cushion

(geology) A pillow lava.

To place or seat on a cushion.

(engineering) A piece of metal or wood, forming a support to equalize pressure; a brass; a pillow block.

To cover or hide (something) with or as if with a cushion.

(nautical) A block under the inner end of a bowsprit.

To protect from impacts or other disturbing effects

The socket of a pivot.

To mitigate the effects of; absorb the shock of

(uncountable) A kind of plain, coarse fustian.

A soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag, used for comfort or support; for sitting on, kneeling on, resting one's head on etc.

(transitive) To rest as on a pillow.

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

Anything used to support the head of a person when reposing; especially, a sack or case filled with feathers, down, hair, or other soft material.

A pad on which gilders cut gold leaf.

A piece of metal or wood, forming a support to equalize pressure; a brass; a pillow block.

A mass of steam in the end of the cylinder of a steam engine to receive the impact of the piston.

A block under the inner end of a bowsprit.

The lip around a table in cue sports which absorbs some of the impact of the billiard balls and bounces them back.

A kind of plain, coarse fustian.

The pillow used in making bone lace.

To rest or lay upon, or as upon, a pillow; to support; as, to pillow the head.

An engraver's pad.

A cushion to support the head of a sleeping person

(historical) The rubber of an electrical machine.

Rest on or as if on a pillow;

(historical) A pad supporting a woman's hair.

(figuratively) a sufficient quantity of an intangible object (like points or minutes) to allow for some of those points, for example, to be lost without hurting one's chances for successfully completing an objective.

Money kept in reserve.

(historical) The dancer in the cushion dance who currently holds the cushion, or the dance itself.

To furnish with cushions.

To seat or place on, or as on a cushion.

To absorb or deaden the impact of.

To conceal or cover up, as under a cushion.

A case or bag stuffed with some soft and elastic material, and used to sit or recline upon; a soft pillow or pad.

Anything resembling a cushion in properties or use

A riotous kind of dance, formerly common at weddings; - called also cushion dance.

To seat or place on, or as on a cushion.

To furnish with cushions; as, to cushion a chaise.

To conceal or cover up, as under a cushion.

A mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses;

A soft bag filled with air or a mass of padding such as feathers or foam rubber etc.

Protect from impact;