pillowshaped

Pillow-shaped is an adjective used to describe objects whose overall form resembles a pillow: a softly curved, rounded body with slightly bulging opposite ends and a narrower middle, yielding a symmetric, cushion-like silhouette. The term is descriptive rather than technical and is applied across disciplines to convey a particular, comfortable-appearing contour.

In gemology and jewelry, pillow-shaped or cushion-cut diamonds refer to stones cut to a square or rectangular silhouette with rounded corners and a sculpted profile. This shape emphasizes a warm, romantic look and tends to soften contrast between facets, producing engaging fire and brilliance. Cushion cuts come in various depths and facet patterns, and they have a long history dating to antique and vintage jewelry styles. The term pillow-shaped is often used interchangeably with cushion-cut in casual description, though some distinctions exist between modern and antique variants.

In geology, pillow-shaped refers to pillow lavas and similar rock forms that harden in rounded, bulbous lobes when basaltic magma erupts underwater. The resulting shapes display a glassy skin with a pillow-like bulge and are important indicators of submarine volcanic activity and ancient lava emplacement environments.

The term also appears in design and product descriptions to convey a soft, ergonomic contour in cushions, upholstered furniture, and some architectural elements. Overall, pillow-shaped serves as a flexible, visual shorthand for a rounded, cushion-like form.