pile
pile — noun
1. a group of separate things lying above each other, often in a rough or untidy wa
a group of separate things lying above each other, often in a rough or untidy way.
A pile of clean towels sat on the chair by the bed.
a pile of + plural objects
Nina dropped the letters onto the growing pile beside the printer.
The children jumped into a pile of dry leaves after school.
Dirty plates formed a pile in the sink after the party.
common result pattern: form a pile
- a pile of clothes
- a pile of books
- a pile of papers
- in a pile
- stack
usually implies a neater or more even arrangement
- heap
often looser and messier, especially for mixed things
- collection
general word; does not suggest shape
Grammar Patterns
a pile of + plural noun
Usage Note
Common with 'a pile of' before countable nouns. If the things are arranged neatly and evenly, 'stack' is often more natural.
Common Mistakes
2. a raised mass of loose material, such as sand, snow, coal, or rubbish.
a raised mass of loose material, such as sand, snow, coal, or rubbish.
A yellow pile of sand stood beside the new playground.
pile of + loose material
By morning, a pile of snow blocked Mrs. Lin's front steps.
Workers left a pile of black coal behind the old shed.
The dog slept beside a warm pile of straw in the barn.
common noun: pile of straw / sand / snow
- a pile of sand
- a pile of snow
- a pile of coal
- a pile of straw
Grammar Patterns
a pile of + loose material
Usage Note
Usually refers to loose material or many small pieces rather than clearly separate objects. Distinguish this sense from noun/1, which focuses on individual things placed together.
3. a very large amount of something, especially work, money, time, or problems.
a very large amount of something, especially work, money, time, or problems.
Lena still had piles of homework to finish before dinner.
piles of + noun for emphasis
Running the cafe takes a pile of time every weekend.
The repair bill cost the family a pile of money.
a pile of + money/time/work
Mina has piles of questions about her first day at college.
- a pile of money
- a pile of work
- piles of homework
- piles of questions
Grammar Patterns
a pile of + uncountable noun
piles of + plural/uncountable noun
Usage Note
Often used in 'a pile of' or 'piles of' before abstract nouns and uncountable nouns. In this sense, the idea is quantity, not physical shape.
Common Mistakes
4. a heavy post sunk far below the surface so that a house, bridge, pier, or simila
a heavy post sunk far below the surface so that a house, bridge, pier, or similar structure can rest on it.
Workers hammered steel piles into the riverbed before sunrise.
construction: hammer/drive piles into the ground
The wooden house stands on piles above the wet ground.
stand on piles
Engineers checked the concrete piles under the new bridge.
The storm damaged two piles supporting the fishing pier.
- steel piles
- concrete piles
- drive piles
- pile foundation
Grammar Patterns
drive/hammer piles into + ground
Usage Note
Usually a technical construction word. It often appears in the plural because several piles support the same structure.
5. the layer of short fibres standing up from a carpet or from materials like velve
the layer of short fibres standing up from a carpet or from materials like velvet.
This rug has a deep pile that feels soft under bare feet.
textile collocation: deep pile carpet
The cat left tiny marks in the velvet pile.
Low pile carpets are easier to clean in busy offices.
contrast: low pile / deep pile
Sunlight showed where the chair had flattened the carpet pile.
- deep pile carpet
- low pile carpet
- velvet pile
- flatten the pile
Grammar Patterns
deep/high/low pile
Usage Note
Most common in descriptions of carpets and fabric, especially with adjectives such as 'deep', 'high', or 'low'.
6. a very large and impressive building, especially a big house, often mentioned in
a very large and impressive building, especially a big house, often mentioned in an informal or slightly humorous way.
The family sold their old country pile after the divorce.
informal British use: country pile
A huge Victorian pile stood above the village on the hill.
The museum is housed in a red-brick pile near the river.
From the train, we could see a grand pile behind the trees.
used for a striking large building
- country pile
- Victorian pile
- old pile
- grand pile
Grammar Patterns
old/country/Victorian pile
Usage Note
Mostly British and often slightly informal. It can sound admiring, amused, or mildly disapproving depending on context.
7. painful swollen veins around the anus; in British English, the usual everyday te
painful swollen veins around the anus; in British English, the usual everyday term is piles.
The doctor said Daniel's bleeding was caused by piles.
British medical use; usually plural
Mrs. Chen bought cream to ease the pain from her piles.
Long hours of sitting can make piles worse for some people.
The clinic offers simple treatment for painful piles.
common phrase: treatment for piles
- painful piles
- have piles
- treatment for piles
- piles cream
- hemorrhoids
the usual North American term
- haemorrhoids
the standard British medical spelling
Grammar Patterns
have piles
treatment for piles
Usage Note
Usually plural in British English. North American English more often uses 'hemorrhoids'.
Common Mistakes
in the lowest or highest position when people or things are judged by importance, power, or success.
After three wins in a row, Osaka was back at the top of the pile.
Part-time staff often stay at the bottom of the pile when leave is approved.
make a/your pile
idiomto earn a great deal of money, often from one successful period, business, or deal.
Her grandfather made his pile in shipping during the 1970s.
One hit game can help a small studio make its pile.
pile — verb
1. to put things somewhere so that they collect in a heap or heaps; or to gather th
to put things somewhere so that they collect in a heap or heaps; or to gather there in that way.
Please pile the wet shoes by the back door.
transitive: pile + object + by/in/on + place
Snow piled up against the garage wall after midnight.
intransitive: pile up
Maya piled extra blankets on the sofa for guests.
Dirty cups were piled high beside the office sink.
passive: be piled high
Leaves piled in the corner after the strong wind.
- pile up snow
- pile books on the desk
- pile blankets on the bed
- be piled high
- clear
to remove things from a place
- spread out
to separate things instead of collecting them
Grammar Patterns
pile + [object] + in/on/by + [place]
pile up
be piled high with + [noun]
Usage Note
Common with particles and prepositions such as 'up', 'on', 'into', 'by', and 'against'. Distinguish from verb/2, where the subject is a group of people moving together.
Common Mistakes
2. if people pile somewhere, they move into or out of a place together in a hurried
if people pile somewhere, they move into or out of a place together in a hurried, crowded way.
Fans piled into the small bar after the football match.
pile into + place
The children piled out of the bus, laughing and shouting.
pile out of + vehicle
Five cousins piled onto the sofa for the family photo.
pile onto + surface
Parents piled into the hall when the storm siren sounded.
- pile into a car
- pile out of the bus
- pile onto the sofa
- pile through the door
Grammar Patterns
pile in/out
pile into/onto + [place/vehicle]
Usage Note
Usually takes 'in', 'out', 'into', or 'onto'. It suggests crowded, uncontrolled movement, not calm or orderly movement.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- pilingnounC1
- pileupnounC1
- stockpileverbC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For noun/1, 'pile' is the broad everyday word for things lying on top of each other, often without much order. 'Stack' is closer when the objects are arranged neatly and evenly, like plates or books on a shelf. 'Heap' often sounds messier and is especially common for mixed items or loose material, so it overlaps with noun/2 as well. 'Mound' usually describes a rounded raised shape, especially of earth, snow, or food, rather than separate objects. 'Bundle' is different again: the things are tied or wrapped together, not simply placed one above another. So you might leave your clothes in a pile, stack your files neatly, shovel leaves into a heap, and carry old newspapers in a bundle.
Common collocations
Etymology
English 'pile' came through French from a Latin word connected with a pillar or heap. Early English uses were about a post driven into the ground, and from the idea of things gathered together the common senses about heaps and stacking developed later.