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pile

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The definition of a pile is a mass of things lumped or stacked on top of each other.

(noun)

An example of pile is a mound of clothes on top of a bed.

See pile in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a mass of things heaped together; heap
a heap of wood or other combustible material on which a corpse or sacrifice is burned
a large building or group of buildings
Informal
1. a large amount or number
2. ☆ a lot of money; fortune
Elec. a voltaic pile or any other similar device that produces an electric current; battery
☆ nuclear reactor

Origin: ME < MFr < L pila, pillar

transitive verb piled, piling

to put or set in a pile; heap up
to cover with a pile; load
to accumulate
to crash, wreck, etc.

intransitive verb

to form a pile or heap
to move in a mass; crowd: with in, into, out, on, off, etc.
to crash (into)

noun

a soft, velvety, raised surface on a rug, fabric, etc., produced by making yarn loops on the body of the material and, often, shearing them
soft, fine hair, as on wool, fur, etc.

Origin: ME pile, bird's down < L pilus, hair < IE base *pilo- > L pila, ball, Gr pilos, felt

Related Forms:

piled adjective

noun

a long, heavy timber or beam driven into the ground, sometimes under water, to support a bridge, dock, etc.
any similar supporting member, as of concrete
Heraldry a wedge-shaped bearing with the point usually downward

Origin: ME pil < OE, akin to Ger pfeil < WGmc borrowing < L pilum, javelin

transitive verb piled, piling

to drive piles into
to support or strengthen with piles

See pile in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A quantity of objects stacked or thrown together in a heap. See Synonyms at heap.
Informal A large accumulation or quantity: a pile of trouble.
Slang A large sum of money; a fortune: made their pile in the commodities market.
A funeral pyre.
A very large building or complex of buildings.
A nuclear reactor.
A voltaic pile.

verb piled piled, pil·ing, piles

verb, transitive

a. To place or lay in or as if in a pile or heap: piled books onto the table.
b. To load (something) with a heap or pile: piled the table with books.
To heap (something) in abundance: piled potato salad onto the plate.

verb, intransitive

To form a heap or pile.
To move in, out, or forward in a disorderly mass or group: pile into a bus; pile out of a car.

Phrasal Verb: pile up To accumulate. Informal To undergo a serious vehicular collision.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin pīla, pillar

noun

A heavy beam of timber, concrete, or steel, driven into the earth as a foundation or support for a structure.
Heraldry A wedge-shaped charge pointing downward.
A Roman javelin.

transitive verb piled piled, pil·ing, piles

To drive piles into.
To support with piles.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English pīl, shaft, stake

Origin: , from Latin pīlum, spear, pestle

noun

a. Cut or uncut loops of yarn forming the surface of certain fabrics, such as velvet, plush, and carpeting.
b. The surface so formed.
Soft fine hair, fur, or wool.

Origin:

Origin: From Middle English piles, hair, plumage

Origin: , probably from Middle Dutch pijl, fine hair

Origin: , and Middle Low German pile, downy plumage

Origin: , both from Latin pilus, hair

Related Forms: