Meanings
plural pillowbeers · alternative pillow bear · alternative pillowbere · alternative pillow-bere · alternative pillowbier
- Northern EnglandUSregionalA pillowcase.
When Zoylus was sicke, he knew not where / Saue his wrought night cap, and laune Pillow-bere:
1599, Joseph Hall, Virgidemiarum: The three last bookes : Of byting Satyres, page 852 more examples
Ne was there such another Pardoner, For in his male had he a pillowbere, Which as he sayd was our Ladyes vayle.
1635, Simon Birckbek, The Protestants Evidence, taken out of good records, page 64she had so well covered herself with a pillowbeer which she there found, that her regard to decency was not in the least violated by the presence of so many men as were now in the room.
1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 337
Origin
- Old English*bera
- Middle Englishbēre“pillowcase”
- Englishpillowbeer
From earlier pillowbere, from pillow + bear (“pillowcase”), from Middle English bēre (“pillowcase”), from Old English *bera (as in Old English hlēorbera (“cheek-cover”)), of obscure and uncertain origin.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
pillowbeer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pillowbeer
“pillowbeer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pillowbeer. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pillowbeer,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pillowbeer.
Source: pillowbeer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.