A pillow is a cushion support for the head or other parts of the body, usually used while sleeping on a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair.
There are also throw pillows (also called toss pillows, and in the UK Pillow shams), which are pillows that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort.
A cushion is a soft bag filled with air or padding such as feathers or foam rubber.
In the United Kingdom, pillows used on chairs, sofas or daybeds are called cushions, with the word pillow used only for pillows on a bed.
In the UK, cushions are usually square, while bed pillows are oblong.
The word pillow comes from Middle English pilwe, from Old English pyle (akin to Old High German pfuliwi) and from Latin pulvinus. The first known use of the word pillow was before 12th century
Internally, a pillow consists of a filler, often made from foam, synthetic plastic fibers, feathers, or down and viscoelastic foam and latex.
Traditionally straw was a filler, but this is uncomfortable and rarely used today. Feathers and down are the most expensive and usually the most comfortable; they offer the advantage of softness and their ability to conform to shapes desired by the user, more so than foam or fiber pillows.
One of the disadvantages of a down-filled pillow is that a significant number of people are allergic to them. There are currently hypoallergenic varieties of down pillows to allow people sensitive to down to enjoy the comfort of feather or down pillows.
In Asia, buckwheat is a common filler, as are plastic imitations. Such pillows tend to be smaller than a standard pillow. In India, cotton is also a common filler and is considered to be healthier than synthetic fills.
The fill is surrounded with a cover or shell made of cloth, such as silk, known as the pillow case or pillow slip. Some pillows have a fancier cover called a sham which is closed on all sides and usually has a slit in the back through which the pillow is placed.
Rectangular standard bed pillow cases usually do not have zippers, but instead have one side open all the time, however, a zippered pillow protector is often placed around standard pillows with the case in turn covering the protector.
It is recommended that all types of pillow covers be laundered periodically since they are the part that is in contact with a person’s body. But even with regular washing, pillows tend to accumulate dust and microbes among the fill and it is recommended that they be replaced every few years, especially for those with allergies.
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