I. ˈpī(-ə)l noun
Etymology: Middle English, dart, quill, pole driven into the ground, from Old English pīl, from Latin pilum javelin
Date: 12th century
1. : a long slender column usually of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete driven into the ground to carry a vertical load
2. : a wedge-shaped heraldic charge usually placed vertically with the broad end up
3.
a. : a target-shooting arrowhead without cutting edges
b.
[Latin pilum ]
: an ancient Roman foot soldier's heavy javelin
II. transitive verb
( piled ; pil·ing )
Date: 15th century
: to drive piles into
III. verb
( piled ; pil·ing )
Etymology: Middle English, from pile (IV)
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. : to lay or place in a pile : stack
2.
a. : to heap in abundance : load
piled potatoes on his plate
b. : to collect little by little into a mass — usually used with up
intransitive verb
1. : to form a pile or accumulation — usually used with up
2. : to move or press forward in or as if in a mass : crowd
piled into a car
IV. noun
Etymology: Middle English pier of a bridge, stack, heap, from Middle French pille pier of a bridge, from Latin pila pillar
Date: 15th century
1.
a.
(1) : a quantity of things heaped together
(2) : a heap of wood for burning a corpse or a sacrifice
b. : any great number or quantity : lot
2. : a large building or group of buildings
3. : a great amount of money : fortune
4. : reactor 3b
V. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French peil, pil hair, coat with thick nap, from Latin pilus hair
Date: 15th century
1. : a coat or surface of usually short close fine furry hairs
2. : a velvety surface produced by an extra set of filling yarns that form raised loops which are cut and sheared
• pile·less ˈpī(-ə)l-ləs adjective
VI. noun
Etymology: Middle English pilez, plural, from Medieval Latin pili, perhaps from Latin pila ball
Date: 15th century
1. : a single hemorrhoid
2. plural : hemorrhoids