noun | verb
pilepile1 /paɪl/ ●●● S2 noun 1
LARGE AMOUNT/MASS [countable] a)a large mass of things collected together or thrown together: He swept the leaves into a pile.pile of There were piles of cans and bottles in the alley. b)a neat collection of several things of the same kind placed on top of each other: The folded laundry was separated into three piles.pile of It’s somewhere in that pile of books.put something on a pile Put those letters on the bottom of the pile.THESAURUSheap – a large messy pile of things: A heap of clothes lay on the floor.mound – a pile of something with a round shape: He came back from the buffet with a huge mound of food on his plate.stack – a neat pile of things: There was a stack of books in the middle of the table.drift – a large pile of snow, sand, etc. that has been blown by the wind: The car slid into a ten-foot snow drift by the side of the road.2A LOT a pile of something (also piles of something) informal a lot of something SYN ton: Congress still has a pile of unfinished legislation.3CLOTH/CARPETS [countable, uncountable] the soft surface of short threads on a carpet or some types of cloth, especially velvet: They chose a thick red pile carpet. → see also nap1 (2)4at the bottom/top of the pile in a very weak or strong position in society or in an organization: The mayor has shown little concern for those at the bottom of the pile.5make a pile informal to make a lot of money6POST [countable] a heavy big post made of wood, stone, or metal, pushed into the ground and used to support a building, bridge, etc.7MEDICAL CONDITION piles [plural] not technical → see hemorrhoid[Origin: (1) 1400–1500 French pile, from Latin pila] noun | verb
pilepile2 ●●○ verb [transitive] 1 (also pile up) to make a pile by collecting things together: Dirty dishes were piled in the sink.pile something on something The kids piled more pillows on the stack.2to fill something or cover a surface with a lot of something: Mattie piled her plate with food.be piled (high) with Every chair in the room was piled with dirty laundry.pile something into/onto something We piled the bags into the car.pile in/into something phrasal verb if people pile into a place or vehicle, many of them go into it quickly or in a disorganized way: Children pile into the gym two afternoons a week. They all piled in and headed for the store.pile on something phrasal verb informal1 (also pile it on) to do or talk about something a lot or too much: Once the press begins to criticize someone, they tend to pile it on.2if people pile on something such as a piece of furniture, many of them sit or lie on it together: We all piled on the sofa to watch the movie.pile out phrasal verb if a large number of people pile out of a place, they leave it quickly, especially in a disorganized way: pile out of Commuters piled out of the train.pile up phrasal verb to become much larger in quantity or amount, especially in a way that is difficult to manage, or to make something do this: Her medical bills began to pile up. Bryant piled up 20 points in the second half of the game. → see also pile-up