pile

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /paɪl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Singular pile

Plural piles

A pile of wood

Two piles in the ground and one going in

1. (countable) A pile is a lot of things with some on the bottom and more on top.

   There was a neat pile of sheets and blankets at the foot of each bed.

   He found his phone under a pile of clothes.

   The children spent the afternoon jumping into leaf piles.

   Joshua Tree National Park in California has many huge rock piles.

   She reached for the next piece of paper on the top of the taller pile.

2. (countable) A pile is a long, strong post to support something like a bridge or building.

Synonyms

• mountain
• mass
• load
• fortune
• support
• post
• column

Verb

Plain form pile

Third-person singular piles

Past tense piled

Past participle piled

Present participle piling

1. (transitive) If you pile something somewhere, you put a lot of it there.

   The table that was piled high with all sorts of fruit, cheese, cakes, and sweets.

   She piled the books on the corner of the desk.

2. (intransitive) If something piles (up), there is more an more of it.

   I listen to the snow piling on the roof.

   When I was away the work kept piling up.

3. (intransitive) If something piles on top of something else, it is added to it.

   The changes, piled on top of the problems at home were too much.

4. (intransitive) If people pile on, they attack somebody who is already being attacked.
5. (intransitive) If people pile in(to) a car, or some other small space, they get in quickly.
6. (intransitive) If people pile out of a car, or some other small space, they get out quickly.

Synonyms

• load
• stack