What is a pillow beer?

Answer 1

Pillow-beer, a pillow case. The word pillowbeer is found

in Chaucer (The Prologe, 690-700) ; and in the Boke of the

Duchesse, 254, we have " and many a pelowe, and every "bere of

cloth of Eeynes to slepe softe." Webster says " pillow-beer is the

pillow-bearer." It is derived from D. peluwe, puluwe (G. pfuhl,

FLpdl, pohl, A. S. pyle, pile), from L. pulvillus, diminutive of

pulvinus for pulvinulus ; or from pulvinar or polvinar, a cushion.