pilenoun
uk/paɪl/us/paɪl/pile noun (AMOUNT)
B1 [ C ] objects positioned one on top of another:
B1 [ C ] a mass of something that has been placed somewhere:
informal a lot of something:
More examples
- He had a pile of papers on his desk.
- Put those clothes in a pile for washing .
- I have a pile of mending to do.
- He found the piece of paper he had lost at the very bottom of the pile.
- There's an enormous pile of washing-up in the sink.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Masses and large amounts of things
- accumulation
- an embarrassment of riches idiom
- any number of things idiom
- backlog
- battery
- boatload
- bolus
- clot
- deluge
- fund
- lashing
- lather
- outpouring
- panoply
- plethora
- predominance
- preponderance
- sheet
- shower
- thousand
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pile noun (COLUMN)
[ C ] a strong column or post of wood, metal, or concrete that is pushed into the ground to help support a building
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Physical supports and supporting
- backbone
- bearing
- bolster
- bookend
- buoy
- burden
- buttress
- cantilever
- groan
- pillar
- prop
- rafter
- runner
- scaffold
- scaffolding
- shore
- shore sth up
- stem
- stilt
- underpin
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pile noun (SURFACE)
[ S ] the soft surface made by the ends of many short threads on a carpet or on cloth such as velvet:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Carpets, rugs & other floor coverings
- bath mat
- carpet
- carpeted
- carpeting
- doormat
- fitted carpet
- fitter
- linoleum
- mat
- matting
- parquet
- Persian rug
- rug
- scatter rug
- shag
- underlay
- wall-to-wall
- welcome mat
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
pile noun (BUILDING)
[ C ] mainly humorous a large building:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Houses & homes
- A-frame
- almshouse
- apartment
- apartment building
- apt
- flatlet
- flophouse
- garden apartment
- garden flat
- gated community
- prefab
- public housing
- pueblo
- Quonset hut
- ranch house
- two-up two-down
- villa
- walk-up
- wigwam
- workhouse
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pile noun (MEDICAL)
→ haemorrhoids
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Disorders & diseases of the heart & blood
- acquired agammaglobulinemia
- agammaglobulinemia
- agnogenic myeloid metaplasia
- anemic
- angina
- blood poisoning
- deep vein thrombosis
- dilated cardiomyopathy
- Ebstein's anomaly
- economy-class syndrome
- Eisenmenger syndrome
- endocarditis
- haemorrhage
- hypothermia
- leukaemia
- paediatric thrombocytopenia
- patent ductus arteriosus
- pediatric thrombocytopenia
- pericarditis
- peripheral vascular disease
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Idiom(s)
pileverb
uk/paɪl/us/paɪl/pile verb (OBJECTS)
[ I or T, + adv/prep ] also pile up to arrange objects into a pile:
More examples
- The saucepans clashed as he piled them into the sink.
- She had a most elaborate hairdo, all piled up on top of her head.
- In the village market, the stalls are piled high with local vegetables.
- The logs were neatly piled against the wall.
- Knowing he had a good appetite, she passed him a plate piled high with mashed potato.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Placing and positioning an object
- -based
- appose
- bung
- change sth around
- consign
- consign sb/sth to sth
- fit
- manoeuvre
- perch
- pop
- position
- sandwich sb/sth between sb/sth
- sandwich sth together
- set sb down
- set sth down
- shelve
- shove
- stand
- stuff
- whack
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pile verb (PEOPLE)
[ I usually + adv/prep ] informal (of a group of people) to move together, especially in an uncontrolled way:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Arriving, entering and invading
- annex
- barge
- barge in
- be on the scene idiom
- been
- breaking and entering idiom
- bugger
- go down
- hove
- intrusion
- invade
- keep (sb/sth) out
- land
- let
- let sb/sth in
- loom
- pitch
- pitch invasion
- rock
- roll up! idiom
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