pile2

 
Pronunciation: /pʌɪl/

noun

  • 1a heavy stake or post driven vertically into the bed of a river, soft ground, etc., to support the foundations of a superstructure.
  • 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: an earlier bridge may have been piled

Derivatives

piling

noun

Origin:

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