pile

/paɪl/
noun
  1. A collection of things placed on top of each other, often in a messy or unordered way.
    • There was a pile of dirty laundry on the floor.
    • The children made a huge pile of leaves in the yard.
    • She sorted through a pile of old photographs.
  2. A large amount of something, especially money.
    • He made a pile of money selling his startup.
    • They spent a pile of cash on the new kitchen.
    • She inherited a tidy pile from her grandmother.
  3. A heavy post or beam driven into the ground to support a structure.
    • Workers hammered wooden piles into the soft ground for the foundation.
    • The dock rests on steel piles to keep it stable.
    • The bridge is built on concrete piles driven deep into the riverbed.
  4. The soft surface of a carpet, rug, or fabric, made of many small threads or fibers.
    • She brushed the rug to raise the pile again.
    • This velvet has a thick, soft pile.
    • The carpet's pile was worn down in the hallway.
verb
  1. To put things on top of each other, often in a heap or stack.
    • They piled their plates high with food.
    • He piled the books on the desk.
    • She piled logs onto the fire.
  2. To fill or load something with a large amount of things.
    • They piled the sled with blankets and snacks.
    • The truck was piled with boxes for the move.
    • She piled her shopping cart with groceries.
  3. To move in a group, often in a hurried or crowded way.
    • Everyone piled out of the theater when the movie ended.
    • They all piled onto the bus at the last stop.
    • The kids piled into the car after school.