pile

1
[ pahyl ]
/ paɪl /

noun

verb (used with object), piled, pil·ing.

verb (used without object), piled, pil·ing.

Origin of pile

1
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin pīla pillar, mole of stone

Definition for piles (2 of 5)

pile 2
[ pahyl ]
/ paɪl /

noun

a cylindrical or flat member of wood, steel, concrete, etc., often tapered or pointed at the lower end, hammered vertically into soil to form part of a foundation or retaining wall.
Heraldry. an ordinary in the form of a wedge or triangle coming from one edge of the escutcheon, from the chief unless otherwise specified.
Archery. the sharp head or striking end of an arrow, usually of metal and of the form of a wedge or conical nub.

verb (used with object), piled, pil·ing.

to furnish, strengthen, or support with piles.
to drive piles into.

Origin of pile

2
before 1000; Middle English; Old English pīl shaft < Latin pīlum javelin

Definition for piles (3 of 5)

pile 3
[ pahyl ]
/ paɪl /

noun

hair.
soft, fine hair or down.
wool, fur, or pelage.
a fabric with a surface of upright yarns, cut or looped, as corduroy, Turkish toweling, velvet, and velveteen.
such a surface.
one of the strands in such a surface.

Origin of pile

3
1300–50; Middle English piles hair, plumage < Latin pilus hair; -i- short in L but long in Anglicized school pronunciation

Definition for piles (4 of 5)

pile 5
[ pahyl ]
/ paɪl /

noun

the lower of two dies for coining by hand.

Origin of pile

5
1350–1400; Middle English pyl reverse of a coin < Medieval Latin pīla, special use of Latin pīla pile1

Definition for piles (5 of 5)

pile 4
[ pahyl ]
/ paɪl /

noun Usually piles.

a hemorrhoid.
the condition of having hemorrhoids.

Origin of pile

4
1375–1425; late Middle English pyles (plural) < Latin pilae literally, balls. See pill1

Example sentences from the Web for piles

British Dictionary definitions for piles (1 of 4)

piles
/ (paɪlz) /

pl n

a nontechnical name for haemorrhoids

Word Origin for piles

C15: from Latin pilae balls (referring to the appearance of external piles)

British Dictionary definitions for piles (2 of 4)

pile 1
/ (paɪl) /

noun

verb

See also pile up

Word Origin for pile

C15: via Old French from Latin pīla stone pier

British Dictionary definitions for piles (3 of 4)

pile 2
/ (paɪl) /

noun

a long column of timber, concrete, or steel that is driven into the ground to provide a foundation for a vertical load (a bearing pile) or a group of such columns to resist a horizontal load from earth or water pressure (a sheet pile)
heraldry an ordinary shaped like a wedge, usually displayed point-downwards

verb (tr)

to drive (piles) into the ground
to provide or support (a structure) with piles

Word Origin for pile

Old English pīl, from Latin pīlum

British Dictionary definitions for piles (4 of 4)

pile 3
/ (paɪl) /

noun

textiles
  1. the yarns in a fabric that stand up or out from the weave, as in carpeting, velvet, flannel, etc
  2. one of these yarns
soft fine hair, fur, wool, etc

Word Origin for pile

C15: from Anglo-Norman pyle, from Latin pilus hair

Medical definitions for piles (1 of 2)

piles
[ pīlz ]

pl.n.

hemorrhoid

Medical definitions for piles (2 of 2)

pile
[ pīl ]

n.

A hemorrhoid.

Idioms and Phrases with piles

pile