pile1 nounpile2 verb
pilepile1 /paɪl/ ●●● S2 noun 
WORD ORIGINpile1
Origin:
1-6, 9 1400-1500 French, Latin pila; ➔ PILLAR7 1500-1600 Latin pilus ‘hair’8 Old English pil, from Latin pilum ‘javelin’10 1400-1500 Latin pila ‘ball’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a pile of dirty dishes
- a thick red pile carpet
- Can you separate those out into two piles - A to L and M to Z, please?
- Clare was having too much fun playing in the leaf pile to come inside.
- Greg carried the pile of ironed shirts upstairs.
- Her office is a terrible mess - there are piles of papers all over the floor.
- Put those letters on the other pile.
- The books were arranged in neat piles on her desk.
- The folded laundry was separated into three piles.
- And judging by the prodigious pile of diatribes posted in the last year, a lot of folks are taking advantage.
- Eventually it carried out a more temporary repair, costing £500 000, which entailed replacing 30 of the 113 wooden piles.
- He found himself in enormous buildings, with a labyrinth of rooms, and he was lost in the pile.
- Helen noticed a red rug, piles of books on the floor, white eyelet cafe curtains on the windows.
- I loved to pick through trash piles and collect empty bottles, tin cans with Pretty labels, and discarded magazines.
- Soon, all that is left is a pile of bones.
THESAURUS
a group of things of the same type that are put on top of each other: · a huge pile of cardboard boxes
a neat pile of things of the same type: · There were stacks of books on the floor.
a large messy pile of things: · All his clothes were in a heap on the floor.
a pile of something with a round shape: · a small mound of rice on the plate
a very large pile of something with a round shape: · a mountain of dirty laundry waiting to be washed
Longman Language Activatora group of things on top of each other several things of the same kind placed one on top of the other: · Put those letters on the other pile.· Can you separate those out into two piles - A to L and M to Z, please?pile of: · Greg carried the pile of ironed shirts upstairs.· Her office is a terrible mess - there are piles of papers all over the floor.· a pile of dirty dishesin piles: · The books were arranged in neat piles on her desk.
a lot of things lying one on top of the other in an untidy way: heap of: · There was a huge heap of blankets and pillows on the bed.in a heap: · The kids left all their wet towels in a heap on the bathroom floor.
a large number of things put neatly on top of each other: · The whole stack fell over, and half the plates got broken.stack of: · Next to the bottles was a tall stack of plastic cups.· a stack of sales brochures
a large pile of something: mound of: · The Grand Hotel was now just a mound of rubble.· A mound of leaves is the perfect place for a hedgehog to hibernate.
a large amount of something · If you plan carefully, a trip to Europe doesn't have to cost a lot.a lot of · We spent a lot of time just lying on the beach.· The book contains a lot of useful advice about setting up your own business.a whole lot/an awful lot (=a very large amount) · To most Americans, $150,000 sounds like a whole lot of money.quite a lot (=a fairly large amount of something) · Helen looks as if she's lost quite a lot of weight recently - is she on a diet?a lot more/less · Ask Susan - she knows a lot more about computers than I do.a lot to do/see/learn etc · We've painted the kitchen and the living room, but there's a lot to do in the other rooms.
informal a large amount of something: · "How much money did you bring with you?" "Lots."lots of: · It's a big house, so we've got lots of room for company.· There was lots of blood, but I don't think anyone got killed.lots and lots: · You can't afford to stay there unless you've got lots and lots of money.lots to see/do/learn etc: · You won't be bored - there's lots to do here.lots more/less: · There's lots more beer in the cooler if you want some.
use this especially in questions and negatives. Much is also used in positive sentences in written English and in formal spoken English: · Do you know much about cars?much pleasure/hope/sense etc: · It gives us much pleasure to announce the names of the winners.· Her answer didn't make much sense to me.so much: · There was so much noise outside, I could hardly hear what she was saying.too much: · I think Perry's had a little too much wine.much to do/see/learn etc: · She never seems to have much to say.· He's very young and still has much to learn about how to deal with employees.much more/less: · We've had much less rain this year than last year.much of (=a large part of something): · Much of Bangladesh remains flooded after last week's torrential rains.
a large amount of something such as time, money, effort, or knowledge: · We already know a great deal about the planet Jupiter.a great/a good deal of: · The job requires a great deal of patience and skill.· It sounds like a simple experiment, but it required a great deal of effort.· There's a good deal of evidence to show that eating red meat can cause heart disease.a great/a good deal more/less: · Audiences have responded to his latest show with a great deal more enthusiasm.
also a fair bit British a large amount of something compared with the total amount that you have: · Don knows a fair bit about managing a company. quite a bit/a fair amount of: · I wasted a fair amount of time before I figured out what was wrong with the car.· There's been quite a bit of conflict between the new director and his staff.quite a bit/a fair amount more/less: · The tickets will cost quite a bit less money if you stay over the weekend.
also loads especially British, /masses British informal a very large amount of something: · "How much space is there in the back of your car?" "Masses."· It was a fantastic meal - there was loads to eat.tons of: · He made tons of money at some computer company.· She's a great athlete with loads of talent.· I've got tons of homework to do this weekend.tons and tons/loads and loads etc: · There's tons and tons of information on the Internet if you're willing to look for it.
British informal a large amount of something, especially work or money: · "How much money have you saved?" "Oh, stacks!"· I have piles to do when I get home tonight.piles/heaps/stacks of: · Her family is very rich - they have heaps of money.
a large amount of something such as work, debt, or information: · We had to complete a mountain of paperwork to get the loan.· The economies of Third World countries are often crippled by huge mountains of debt which they will never be able to repay.
a lot or in very large amounts, especially when this is worse than expected: heavy rain/snow/traffic/fighting/losses/taxation: · The match went ahead despite the heavy rain.· It was a fierce battle, and losses on both sides were heavy.· Traffic was really heavy this morning - it took me over an hour to get here.
informal a large amount of money: · He lost a bundle in the stock market.a bundle of: · If you end up hiring a lawyer, it could cost you a bundle of money.
to be in a low position in an organization, company, or list to be in a low position in an organization, company, or list: · He doesn't have any authority over you, he's fairly low down.be low down in: · At that time I was still fairly low down in the company.· Surprisingly, last year's champions are low down in the league table.
having a low position in an organization: · The scandal involved a number of low-ranking officials in the government.· None of the low-ranking members were allowed to vote at the society's meeting.
to be in the lowest position in an organization, company, or list: · Richard started out at the bottom of the firm and worked his way to the top.· The team is at the bottom of the league.· You will start at the bottom of the pay scale, but you can expect a raise after 12 months.· The band's single has been moving steadily towards the bottom of the charts this month.
informal if a person is at the bottom of the pile , they are in the lowest position in society, are badly treated, are given the worst jobs etc: · Immigrants have always been at the bottom of the pile for housing.· At the bottom of the pile are the runners, young boys who carry messages all day.
WORD SETSaqueduct, nounbore, verbbore, nounborehole, nouncanalize, verbcivil engineering, nounculvert, noundam, noundam, verbdesalination, noundredge, verbdyke, nounpile, nounpile driver, nounpneumatic drill, nounpontoon, nounpontoon bridge, nounS-bend, nounsewer, nounsewerage, nounsteam shovel, nounstructural engineer, nounsump, nounsurveyor, nounwater main, nounwater tower, nounwaterworks, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
She tidied up the books and put them in neat piles. He balanced the plate on the top of a pile of books. He began to sweep the pieces of glass into a pile. Her feet sank into the thick pile of the rug. a deep pile carpetCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I’m tired and there’s still a pile of ironing to do.
She tidied up the books and put them in neat piles. He balanced the plate on the top of a pile of books. He began to sweep the pieces of glass into a pile. Her feet sank into the thick pile of the rug. a deep pile carpet (=the lowest position in society, an organization etc) Immigrants were at the bottom of the pile.
Immigrants were at the bottom of the pile.· There was a pile of boxes in the street outside the house.
also bunch of crap American English· That’s a bunch of crap! I never said that.· He came out with a load of crap about how he’d tried to call me yesterday.
also bunch of crap American English· The game was a load of crap.
I’m tired and there’s still a pile of ironing to do.· a pile of laundry waiting to be put away
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Maria went to the University of Krakow Business School and ended up making an even bigger pile of money.· They are succeeding by turning big piles into little piles, not the other way around.· I wondered how big the pile at home would have to be to last the year.
· A deep pile in your living room!· A deep pile Raking ashes into a pile would then be automatically reinforced.· On this occasion the officials thrown from the window managed to survive, since they landed in deep piles of castle refuse.
· Twentythree stainless steel dishes, Denby casseroles and Pyrex serving sets have gone to that great built-in-obsolescence pile in the sky.· Though the streets had been cleared, the plow had knocked an even greater pile of snow on to the vehicle.· A great pile of felled Trees.
· Bert started to move a huge pile of cardboard boxes which had once housed a variety of motor spares.· Outside, the huge piles of snow are melting.· And heaped up in one corner, almost touching the ceiling, was a huge pile of junk.· I was allowed to play in a huge pile of white sand and to melt wire with a hot soldering gun.· Where it was melting a huge pile of boulder clay was built up, as a terminal moraine.· The outcome is likely to be a huge pile of dead birds and further alienation.· It seemed a long time since we had first set eyes on that huge pile of posts and wire in the farmyard.· He had a huge pile of paper cuttings etc.
· A truck appeared, and rocks and stones were emptied in a large pile.· In the old system, that would have been a single, homogenized function located in a single large functional pile somewhere.· But, before he could say anything, Mrs Danby emerged from round a large pile of tins of tuna-fish.· There was a large pile of bones in the yard, going green with mould, which were eventually sent for processing.· And in its place, stacked high in the subterranean vault, was a large pile of guns and ammunition.· On her right hand she had a large pile of blanks.· Which means you end up with a larger pile of results from your search.· More obvious signs might be a large pile of empty bottles, the smell of drink, or unwashed glasses.
· He pulled off his work jeans and threw them on to the little pile in the corner.· They are succeeding by turning big piles into little piles, not the other way around.· Still guarding his little pile of sticks no doubt, or even jumping over the broom with a Romany.· She averted her eyes from the pathetic little piles of unsold merchandise in the grocery store.· Place left his little pile with his sister, she kept it under the floorboards.· And in the morning when I went into the bathroom, there was a little pile of something beside my toothbrush.· Two of the black lacquer cabinets had been opened and china lay in little piles outside them on the carpet.
· Books and papers in neat rows and piles crammed all the available space between floor and ceiling.· I picked up the neat pile of clothing and placed it on the chair near the stove.· It included, for example, a neat pile of bullets, the artist being flown in to do the piling.· I tried the next drawer, which was filled with neat piles of nylon underpants in a quite large old-lady style.· Wrapped in copious instruction leaflets and next to a neat pile of syringes, formidable quantities of snakebite serum had thoughtfully been provided.· I wanted to pick up the neat pile of paper lying on the bed and fling it into the air.· The room has remained untouched, its files and papers in the same neat piles the actor had left them in.· A long, rather stark couch held neat piles of clean kandoras and white head scarves which were laid there daily.
· A small pile of cards lay before her, now horribly familiar.· One is a small pile of undated photographs I have from my early childhood.· He knelt down to place a small pile of change in her hands.· There was no one in the office. just small piles of handbills on a table.· Bodie upturned the waste bin and sorted through the small pile of chewing-gum wrappers, empty cigarette packets, and cigarette butts.· As she worked, adding to the pitifully small pile, she could hear Travis talking on the radio behind her.· Up behind the engine, two baggage handlers were loading a small pile of boxes.· On the floor besides Zach's bed was a small pile of books.
· Folly slipped out of bed and wriggled her toes in the thick, silky pile of the carpet.· The situation is improved by adding velvet curtains, acoustic tiles and a thick pile carpet.· He lay back on his thick pile of cushions and chuckled.· She saw feet sinking into the thick pile of the new rugs whose abstract patterns evoked the work of contemporary artists.· This is ideal for thick yarns and pile knitting, but not for ordinary work.· Collected under her hands they made a thick pile.· Her feet sank into the thick pile of the carpet.
NOUN· Meanwhile, Vistec is making the most of the recession and has a Pounds 4m cash pile.
VERB· Then, the extra females-some of them mated by the fortunate male-wander in and add to the pile.· Q: How should the material be added to the pile?· He marched up to the desk and handed over two slender files to add to the pile at Spatz's elbow.
· The confused Night Goblins scattered leaving piles of dead in their wake.· Other days I think how close they came to destroying the Union and leaving it in a pile of ashes.· She left the pile on the desk where she had found it, and made her way to where Bill was sitting.· The two of them wrote it all down on numbered placards they left with each pile.· Brick by brick, plasterboard by plasterboard ... until all we had left was a pile of rubble.
· Ideally, the carpet should lie with the pile running away from the main, or only, window in the room.· Jinju lay curled atop a pile of grass and weeds, neither crying nor complaining, a grin frozen on her face.· Before him lay a pile of dead Tilean crossbowmen, polluting the sacred soil of Bretonnia with their inferior foreign blood.· The guts lay in a smoking pile beneath the crossed feet.· Behind, lay a pile of chained human bones, a slumped fettered skeleton.· On a drafting table against one wall lay a pile of ships' blueprints: cross-sectioned schooners, submarines, slave galleys.· Ace's blood-soaked jacket lay on top of the pile.· But he'd probably be dead, frozen, lying under a pile of leaves, dead from starvation.
· Government ministers seem to think that they look at a pile of brochures.· He looked through the pile, trying to decide which one to pick.· He looked through the pile of engraved cards on his escritoire.· It looks like a pile of dead leaves in there.· Objectively I looked like a pile of coathangers, but objectivity was some-thing I had lost long ago.· She looked over at the pile of burned clothing she had shed like a snake's skin, and shuddered.· I looked at the pile of dead, and shivered.
· He knelt down to place a small pile of change in her hands.
· Similar sizes were put together and the piles were symmetrical.· Jesse Johnson hopped out of his dory and put himself be-tween the pile of bodies and the wharf.· The next time they were counted they were put in piles of four.· The secrecy envelope is put in a pile with other such envelopes that are later opened and the ballots counted.· Do not put piles of books or magazines up the sides of the stairs.· Q: What can I put in the compost pile?
· FitzAlan's brother-in-law sat there, sorting through piles of official-looking documents.· When I entered our room I found Mum had down two more vases and was sorting out a pile of pawn tickets.· Bodie upturned the waste bin and sorted through the small pile of chewing-gum wrappers, empty cigarette packets, and cigarette butts.· I came home, put them on the floor and they virtually sorted themselves into two piles.· One was occupied by a plump woman in her forties, who was briskly sorting through a pile of letters.
· Components were stacked in piles all over the factory floor like the contents of an attic.· Ready to fire, the shell was stacked on a pile near the gun crew.· When they had sorted the collection completely, they stacked each set in piles.· Inside the truck I could see what looked like a thousand frozen turkeys stacked up like a pile of stones.· During the morning the accumulated household junk had been stacked in piles beside the steps.· Bunches of bananas are stacked in tidy piles.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► piles
1- He did not make his pile opening bazaars you feel sure.
- Then gently place the children into the helter-skelter, and make a pile of mats at the bottom.
- We went through piles and piles of songs deciding which were best for my voice.
- But he knew what he was looking at, though to the untrained eye it was just a pile of minuscule fragments.
- Fifi continues to pack from a pile of clothes she has emptied out of her drawers on to the floor.
- His savoirfaire had vanished and he was prodding desperately at a pile of coal black spheres.
- I was intrigued by this and so he went to the store room and eventually returned with a pile of prints.
- Inside the truck I could see what looked like a thousand frozen turkeys stacked up like a pile of stones.
- It was hot, and the hills were brown and dry, laid out like a pile of kindling.
- She found one little girl of about four under a pile of masonry.
- At the bottom of the pile, in reverse order of its importance, was the letter from the bishop.
- He toyed with the envelope for a couple of seconds, then thrust it back to the bottom of the pile.
- He was thrilled to find the cream-colored envelope near the bottom of the pile of greeting cards.
- If you are wrong, return the card to the bottom of the pile.
- Music for wasted afternoons that's nowhere near the bottom of the pile this week.
- The new black immigrants at the bottom of the pile were hardly mentioned.
- A new professionalism has gripped Maranello and falling from the top of the pile is not an option.
- He turned the paper over and put it back on the top of the pile.
- I shall begin this evening at the top of the pile and plunge straight through to the bottom.
- Koontz continues to challenge Stephen King at the top of the pile.
- Returning to the top of the pile, she began to read the Sunday Times story.
- She drew it out and placed it on the top of the pile.
arrangement of things [countable] a group of several things of the same type that are put on top of each other SYN stackpile of His mother came in carrying a pile of ironing in her arms. Flora shuffled through a pile of magazines.put something in/into a pile She tidied up the books and put them in neat piles. He balanced the plate on the top of a pile of books.2large amount [countable] a large amount of something arranged in a shape that looks like a small hillpile of piles of melting snow All that remained of the old house was a pile of rubble. Sophie stooped to throw another branch on the pile. He began to sweep the pieces of glass into a pile.3a pile of something (also piles of something) informal a lot of something: We’ve had piles of letters from viewers. another pile of directives from the EU4the bottom of the pile British English the weakest or least important position in a society or organization: I soon discovered I was at the bottom of the pile in the office hierarchy. She always puts her own needs to the bottom of the pile.5the top of the pile British English the best or highest position in a society or organization: It’s been 20 years since a British tennis player was at the top of the pile.6house [countable] a very large old house: They’ve just bought an 18th-century pile in Surrey.7material [countable, uncountable] the soft surface of short threads on a carpet or some types of cloththick/deep pile Her feet sank into the thick pile of the rug. a deep pile carpet → nap1(2)8post [countable] technical a heavy wooden, stone, or metal post, used to support something heavy9make a/your pile informal to make a lot of money: He had made his pile in the wholesale business.10piles [plural] painfully swollen blood vessels near a person’s anusTHESAURUSpile a group of things of the same type that are put on top of each other: · a huge pile of cardboard boxesstack a neat pile of things of the same type: · There were stacks of books on the floor.heap a large messy pile of things: · All his clothes were in a heap on the floor.mound a pile of something with a round shape: · a small mound of rice on the platemountain a very large pile of something with a round shape: · a mountain of dirty laundry waiting to be washedpile1 nounpile2 verb
pilepile2 ●○○ verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
pile
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | pile |
| he, she, it | piles | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | piled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have piled |
| he, she, it | has piled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had piled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will pile |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have piled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am piling |
| he, she, it | is piling | |
| you, we, they | are piling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was piling |
| you, we, they | were piling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been piling |
| he, she, it | has been piling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been piling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be piling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been piling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Dirty dishes were left piled in the sink.
- Gifts were piled under the Christmas tree.
- Has anyone else noticed that towels dry faster when you don't pile them in the middle of the floor?
- He piled his dirty laundry up just outside my door.
- Mattie piled her plate with food.
- We called the police when we noticed her newspapers and mail were piling up.
- He piled up snow and covered the remains.
- He scooped out a hollow and lying down piled the leaves over him like a thick coverlet.
- He walked in and saw her sitting on the floor, piling books into a carton.
- His armour was piled not three yards away, arrayed ready to be donned at short notice.
- Recently it has started to pile up quite quickly.
- Storm clouds piling up against Black Hills to east.
- The girls who pile into the exhibition centre are usually accompanied by a flock of female relatives.
- This I corrected in a grocery store, piled with butter and big cheeses and shelves of pickles and bread.
Longman Language Activatorto increase by gradually adding more
to increase gradually in number or amount until there is a large quantity in one place: · An army of 1650 plows and 2000 workers will be out this afternoon as snow begins to accumulate.· Sand had accumulated at the mouth of the river and formed a bank which boats could not pass.· Over a period of years, the drug will accumulate in the body and damage the nervous system.
if something such as a substance or a force builds up somewhere, it increases gradually as more of it is added or more of it appears: · Deposits of lime will stick to the surface and build up over the years.· As the temperature rises, the pressure builds up inside the chamber.· Fertilizers can contain salts that build up in the soil.
informal if something such as work or debt piles up , it increases as more is added to it until there is a large quantity of it: · The work just keeps on piling up and makes me want to scream.· As her debts piled up, she came close to a nervous breakdown.
if prices, costs, debts etc mount up , they increase as more is added over a period of time, and cause more and more problems: · She finally had to go back to work to pay the bills that were mounting up.· The national debt has mounted up, growing to $1 trillion since Clinton took office.
if something such as a liquid collects somewhere, it goes to that place and the amount there gradually increases: · As the tide came in, water collected to form small pools among the rocks.collect on/inside/behind etc: · Rain collecting at the tip of the rock has formed huge icicles.· If condensation collects on the inside of the window, wipe it off with a clean cloth.
if a substance such as dirt, snow etc gathers somewhere, more and more of it appears in that place and stays there: · There were gaps between the floorboards where dust and bits of grime had gathered.gather on/around/behind etc: · Snow gathered thickly in the folds of their clothes.· Harry was afraid. Sweat gathered on his upper lip.
to put several things on top of each other to put a lot of things on top of each other, especially in an untidy way: pile something on/onto/there etc: · Gifts were piled under the Christmas tree.· Has anyone else noticed that towels dry faster when you don't pile them in the middle of the floor?pile something up (=put a lot of things on top of each other in a tall pile): · He piled his dirty laundry up just outside my door.be piling up (=use this to say a pile is growing quickly): · We called the police when we noticed her newspapers and mail were piling up.
to put things neatly on top of each other: · I'll start stacking the chairs.stack something against/in/on something: · Boxes were stacked in the corner.stack something up (=put a lot of things on top of each other in a tall pile): · My kids leave dirty plates stacked up in the sink until I get home.
to put a lot of things on top of each other in an untidy way: heap something on/onto: · Cheap clothes and shoes were heaped on tables.heap something with something: · a plate heaped with saladheap something in/into a pile: · Eileen collected the leaves, heaping them into piles for burning.lie heaped: · Her clothes lay heaped together in a corner of the room.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The room was piled high with boxes (=filled with a lot of boxes).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I’m tired and there’s still a pile of ironing to do.
The room was piled high with boxes (=filled with a lot of boxes). (=the lowest position in society, an organization etc) Immigrants were at the bottom of the pile.
Immigrants were at the bottom of the pile.· There was a pile of boxes in the street outside the house.
also bunch of crap American English· That’s a bunch of crap! I never said that.· He came out with a load of crap about how he’d tried to call me yesterday.
also bunch of crap American English· The game was a load of crap.
I’m tired and there’s still a pile of ironing to do.· a pile of laundry waiting to be put away
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· The passengers were perched atop sacks of rice piled high in the back of the vehicle.
· There were four of us piling in on it.· Xerox was literally synonymous with copying machines; the revenues piled in and the profits piled up.· Clouds were piling in, and there was more rain on the way.· We breakfasted, then all piled in.· All kinds of people Molassi had been winding up about their music taste started piling in.· Ben Turner, 18, admitted knocking him down but said he tried to stop the others from piling in.· Pierre came to pick them up in the long Mercedes and they piled in with all their bags and appurtenances.· So it was the bait piled in by J.J. and myself the first night of a season in the early 1970s.
· Then we all piled on to the team bus.· On Saturday, Dole piled on, using Napolitano to blast Clinton judicial appointees as soft on crime.· If the though sounds tempting but you fear the pounds will pile on, think again.· Unfortunately, the words seemed to be taunting, or piling on.· Yet even that is not enough: Danielewski piles on even more narrative frames, ultimately to the novel's detriment.· Even the wind experts are piling on.· Loopy Lil went on piling more and more things haphazardly on to the tray.· The pounds pile on as they break for split-pea soup, munch chocolate-chip cookies, dine on shrimp and pasta.
· He piled up snow and covered the remains.· That snow piled up outside windows in Washington and elsewhere in the Northeast may slow business even more.· The pledges of loyalty are piling up.· Their bodies piled up in the streets before the authorities could muster the men needed to bury them.· Oh, the points he is piling up.· He stroked the steering wheel, words piling up.· The station has been converted to burn confiscated marijuana which has been piling up in the warehouses of the local police forces.· As the corkscrew meats accumulate in the cup and the delicately colored shells pile up at my feet, examples multiply.
NOUN· He had four chances of piling on the agony for the Londoners but could not find a way past keeper Bob Bolder.· Woosnam piled on the agony with four successive birdies.· It piled on the agony for Glasgow, who had passed up another chance two minutes before the break.
· They all piled into their cars and borrowed tractors, and headed for the Stanlow refinery.· They piled into the car and headed off to the local market to sell the shot glasses and recoup cash.· They burst into laughter and we piled once again into his car for another search.· The drivers piled them into cars and drove off to return shortly for another load.· Quickly they piled into the car, which sped noisily and dangerously off through the quotidian traffic.· Four kids from the Nashville, two girls and two boys, were piling into a car.· We pile into the car as if embarking on a real motor trip.
· A red-haired girl, her hair piled atop her head beneath a hat the shape of a butterfly, noticed him watching.· Runnerup: Helen Hunt, hair piled up and wearing a sleek, shining Isaac Mizrahi.
· A red-haired girl, her hair piled atop her head beneath a hat the shape of a butterfly, noticed him watching.
· He has a lot piled on his plate.· Charles piled up his plate and sat on his own in the corner.· Others simply pile their plates high with mountains of mashed potatoes and various meatless side dishes.
· Most comfort eaters enjoy it while they're eating, but the downside is they soon start to pile on the pounds.· To his relief the producers didn't want him to pile on the pounds.· She did slim down a couple of years ago but has piled on the pounds again.
· Pressure Gornei piled on the pressure from the start and by the end of the contest Griffin's face was badly swollen.· Move round him, piling on the pressure from different directions.· Woodmill piled the pressure on and were finally rewarded with a Martin Shores goal with only thirty seconds left.· And Walsh piled on the pressure to get promises of advertising business.· They piled on the pressure to win handsomely by 30 shots.· Bristol piled on fierce pressure and Middlesbrough paid for their lack of enterprise when Bristol equalised after 67 minutes.· Say she enticed him into the woods and became demanding in every way and heavily emotional, piling on pressure.
· She forced the sad and crushed skull below the snow and piled the ice above it.· That snow piled up outside windows in Washington and elsewhere in the Northeast may slow business even more.· With all that snow piling up outside it seemed like the only thing to do.· Which brings us to the snow job piling up around the budget negotiations themselves.· Winter snow piles on ice that covers streets and sidewalks.
· She flittered in the kitchen, piling crockery on to the table. plates overflowed with party food.
· His hair is reddish-brown, streaked with grey and piled on top of his head.· Instead, he piled loss on top of loss.· Human beings are the same: they're piled on top of one another.· One set of regents piles on top of another.· It was the way one thing had piled on top of another that did it.· The girl was lying on her side with her pink leotard and blue corduroy pants piled on top of her.· The animals pile one on top of another in a confusion of life.· For them, new losses would be piled on top of existing losses.
VERB· Guilty secrets begin to pile up that may be disclosed to no one else at all, not even friends or family.· She kicked a cardboard box in his direction, and he began piling the leaves and petals inside.
· So the dinosaurs could in theory have continued to pile on genetic advantages.· Meanwhile, parts bound for the striking plants are continuing to pile up.· Leeds continued to pile on the points as Iro burst through for loose forward Hanley to score a seventh try.· We can continue to pile up such program models indefinitely.· Across the city the flowers, teddy bears and other cuddly toys were continuing to pile up.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► pile something ↔ up► pile it on/pile on the drama
1[always + adverb/preposition] to fill a place or container or cover a surface with a large amount of thingspile something into/onto etc something- Most comfort eaters enjoy it while they're eating, but the downside is they soon start to pile on the pounds.
- She did slim down a couple of years ago but has piled on the pounds again.
- To his relief the producers didn't want him to pile on the pounds.
- And Walsh piled on the pressure to get promises of advertising business.
- He had four chances of piling on the agony for the Londoners but could not find a way past keeper Bob Bolder.
- It piled on the agony for Glasgow, who had passed up another chance two minutes before the break.
- Move round him, piling on the pressure from different directions.
- Pressure Gornei piled on the pressure from the start and by the end of the contest Griffin's face was badly swollen.
- Then we really pile on the pressure.
- They piled on the pressure to win handsomely by 30 shots.
- Woosnam piled on the agony with four successive birdies.
He piled bread and milk into his basket. Melissa piled spaghetti onto her plate.be piled with something a chair piled with velvet cushions The room was piled high with boxes (=filled with a lot of boxes).2 (also pile up) to arrange things in a pile: Ma stacked the cups and piled the plates.pile something on/onto something She brushed her hair and piled it carefully on top of her head.pile in (also pile into something) phrasal verb if people pile in, they get into a vehicle very quickly: Pierre came to pick them up, and they all piled in.pile something ↔ on phrasal verb informal1pile it on/pile on the drama to talk about something in a way that makes it seem much worse than it really is SYN exaggerate: I know I’m piling it on a bit, but there is a serious point to be made.2pile on the pressure/agony to show that you are much better than your opponent in a game: England piled on the pressure from the start.3pile on the pounds to gain a lot of body weight: She slimmed down a couple of years ago but has piled on the pounds again.pile out phrasal verb if people pile out, they leave a place or get out of a vehicle quickly and in a disorganized way: Edward parked by the river and we all piled out.pile up phrasal verb1to increase in quantity or amount, in a way that is difficult to manage: It wasn’t long before the debts were piling up. The traffic starts piling up around this time. The work has a tendency to pile up if I’m not careful.2pile something ↔ up to arrange things in a pile: tiny doughnuts piled up in a dish → pileup