A
pillion is a mostly
British English term for a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a
horse,
motorcycle,
bicycle or
moped. A passenger in this seat is said to "ride pillion" or may be referred to as a "pillion." The word is derived from the
Scottish Gaelic for a "little rug,"
pillean, which is itself from the Latin
pellis for "animal skin." One or more pelts would often have been used as a secondary seat on horseback; the usage has carried over to motorcycles.