pile

pile · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A heap of things laid on top of each other.

  2. 2.

    (informal) A large amount of something.

  3. 3.

    A heavy beam driven vertically into the ground to support a structure.

  4. 4.

    The soft surface of a carpet or fabric made of upright fibers.

  5. 5.

    To place things on top of each other; to heap.

Forms

plural: piles

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    pile up — to accumulate in large quantities
  • •
    pile on — to add excessively; to exaggerate
  • •
    at the bottom of the pile — in the least favorable position

Related words

See also: heap, mound, stack
Synonyms: heap, mound, stack

Etymology

From Latin pila ("pillar, pier") for the structural sense, and from Latin pilus ("hair") for the fabric sense. The heap sense developed in Middle English.