Meaning & use
pillowcase
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A removable cloth cover that you put over a pillow to keep it clean and to make it look nice.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a pillowcase' or 'two pillowcases'.
Patterns
- a pillowcase for a pillow
- put a pillowcase on something
- change the pillowcase
I washed the sheets and pillowcases this morning.
She bought a set of blue pillowcases to match her new duvet.
The pillowcase had a small tear near the opening.
Word forms
| plural | pillowcases |
|---|
Common combinations
- change the pillowcase
- I try to change the pillowcase at least once a week.
- a clean pillowcase
- He put a clean pillowcase on the pillow before the guests arrived.
- a cotton pillowcase
- Cotton pillowcases feel cool and are easy to wash.
- a pillowcase cover
- This decorative pillowcase cover has a zip at the bottom.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pillowslip
- A pillowslip is the same thing, but the word is more common in British English than in American English.
Word family
- pillow noun
- A soft cushion that you rest your head on when sleeping.
Commonly confused: pillowcase or pillow?
pillowcase vs pillow
A pillow is the soft object itself; a pillowcase is the cloth cover that goes over it.
Practice
Before you go to bed, make sure you put a clean ______ on your pillow.
Choose one answer.
'Pillowcase' is the removable cover that goes over a pillow. 'Pillow' is the soft object itself, 'blanket' is a bed covering, and 'mattress' is the thick pad you sleep on.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pillowcase”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.