I. ˈpilyən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Scottish Gaelic or Irish Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic pillean, diminutive of peall covering, couch; Irish Gaelic pillīn, diminutive of peall covering, couch; Scottish Gaelic & Irish Gaelic peall from a prehistoric Goidelic word borrowed from Latin pellis skin, hide — more at fell
1.
a. : a light saddle for women consisting chiefly of a cushion or pannel
b. : a pad or cushion put on behind a man's saddle chiefly for a woman to ride on
2. : a motorcycle or bicycle riding saddle for a passenger
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to seat on a pillion
III. adverb
: on or as if on a pillion
ride pillion behind their sleek and slender cavaliers — Frances P. Keyes
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Cornish pylyon, plural of pyl peel, stripping, probably from English peel
: tin left in the slags after the first smelting — compare prillion