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Dictionary Language resources

pile2

Syllabification: (pile)

Pronunciation: /pīl/

Translate pile | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish

Definition of pile

noun

1a heavy beam or post driven vertically into the bed of a river, soft ground, etc., to support the foundations of a structure.

2 Heraldry a triangular charge or ordinary formed by two lines meeting at an acute angle, usually pointing down from the top of the shield.

verb

[with object]

strengthen or support (a structure) with piles.

Origin:

Old English pīl 'dart, arrow', also 'pointed stake', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch pijl and German Pfeil, from Latin pilum '(heavy) javelin'