Dutch wife

Dutch wife

English

WOTD – 6 April 2008

Etymology

The origin of the term is thought to be from the Dutch colony of Indonesia where Dutch traders would spend long periods away from their wives.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˌdʌtʃ ˈwaɪf/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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Noun

Dutch wife (plural Dutch wives)

1. A long body-length bolster (pillow) that can be held or wrapped around one's body while sleeping
2. In East Asia and Southeast Asia, a wicker or bamboo tube the size of a person for use in the bed. In the summer heat, the open bamboo structure is cooler than fabric pillows or sheets. The Dutch wife is embraced by the user, exposing the maximum amount of the body to cooling breezes.

Synonyms

• (body-length pillow): body pillow, dakimakura
• (bamboo tube): bamboo wife
• bolster

Translations

long body-length pillow

Japanese: 抱き枕 (dakimakura), 竹夫人 (chikufujin) Korean: 죽부인 (ko) (jukbuin)

Mandarin: 抱枕 (zh), 竹夫人 (zh) (zhúfūrén) Spanish: abrazador (es) Vietnamese: trúc phu nhân