Background for pile

pile

/paɪl/

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noun

A mass of things heaped together; a heap.

Examples :

"My son made a pile of books on his desk. "

mass thing essential

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noun

A group or list of related items up for consideration, especially in some kind of selection process.

Examples :

"When we were looking for a new housemate, we put the nice woman on the "maybe" pile, and the annoying guy on the "no" pile"

list item organization business essential

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noun

A mass formed in layers.

Examples :

"a pile of shot"

mass item essential

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noun

A funeral pile; a pyre.

Examples :

"The villagers gathered around the funeral pile, watching as the flames consumed the body of their beloved elder. "

ritual religion culture essential

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noun

A large amount of money.

Examples :

"He made a pile from that invention of his."

amount finance business economy essential

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noun

A large building, or mass of buildings.

Examples :

"The old pile of buildings housed the entire school district. "

architecture building essential

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noun

A bundle of pieces of wrought iron to be worked over into bars or other shapes by rolling or hammering at a welding heat; a fagot.

Examples :

"The blacksmith carefully arranged the pile of wrought iron to prepare it for forging. "

material industry work essential

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noun

A vertical series of alternate disks of two dissimilar metals (especially copper and zinc), laid up with disks of cloth or paper moistened with acid water between them, for producing a current of electricity; a voltaic pile, or galvanic pile.

Examples :

"The scientist built a pile to generate electricity for her science project. "

technology physics energy device science essential

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noun

An atomic pile; an early form of nuclear reactor.

Examples :

"The atomic pile in the lab was the first attempt to harness nuclear energy. "

energy physics technology science machine essential

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noun

The reverse (or tails) of a coin.

Examples :

"My sister flipped the coin, and the pile landed face down on the table. "

game bet item essential

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noun

A list or league

Examples :

"The teacher made a pile of students who needed extra help with math. "

organization list group essential

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verb

(often used with the preposition "up") To lay or throw into a pile or heap; to heap up; to collect into a mass; to accumulate

Examples :

"They were piling up wood on the wheelbarrow."

mass amount action essential

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verb

To cover with heaps; or in great abundance; to fill or overfill; to load.

Examples :

"We piled the camel with our loads."

amount action mass essential

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verb

To add something to a great number.

Examples :

"The students piled their books on the desk, adding to the already large number already there. "

amount mass action essential

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verb

(of vehicles) To create a hold-up.

Examples :

"The slow-moving traffic piled up on the highway, causing a major delay. "

vehicle traffic essential

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verb

To place (guns, muskets, etc.) together in threes so that they can stand upright, supporting each other.

Examples :

"The soldier piled the muskets in threes, making them stand upright and steady. "

military weapon action essential

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noun

A dart; an arrow.

Examples :

"The archer carefully aimed and released the pile, hoping it would hit the target. "

weapon essential

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noun

The head of an arrow or spear.

Examples :

"The archer carefully sharpened the pile of his arrow before the competition. "

weapon part essential

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noun

A large stake, or piece of pointed timber, steel etc., driven into the earth or sea-bed for the support of a building, a pier, or other superstructure, or to form a cofferdam, etc.

Examples :

"The construction crew drove a large pile into the ground to support the new school building's foundation. "

architecture building technical material structure essential

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noun

One of the ordinaries or subordinaries having the form of a wedge, usually placed palewise, with the broadest end uppermost.

Examples :

"The carpenter carefully stacked the wood, forming a pile for the roof. "

heraldry figure essential

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verb

To drive piles into; to fill with piles; to strengthen with piles.

Examples :

"The construction workers piled the wooden supports into the soft ground to make a strong foundation for the new house. "

architecture building structure essential

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noun

(usually in the plural) A hemorrhoid.

Examples :

"My grandmother has a painful pile, so she's taking some medicine. "

medicine body disease anatomy essential

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noun

Hair, especially when very fine or short; the fine underfur of certain animals. (Formerly countable, now treated as a collective singular.)

Examples :

"The cat's soft pile was a comforting thing to pet. "

appearance body animal essential

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noun

The raised hairs, loops or strands of a fabric; the nap of a cloth.

Examples :

"The velvet couch had a soft pile, making it comfortable to sit on. "

material appearance essential

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verb

To give a pile to; to make shaggy.

Examples :

"The dog owner piled extra blankets on top of the dog bed to keep it warm. "

appearance material essential