n. [ AS. pīl arrow, stake, L. pilum javelin; but cf. also L. pila pillar. ] 1. A large stake, or piece of timber, pointed and driven into the earth, as at the bottom of a river, or in a harbor where the ground is soft, for the support of a building, a pier, or other superstructure, or to form a cofferdam, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Tubular iron piles are now much used. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ Cf. F. pile. ] (Her.) One of the ordinaries or subordinaries having the form of a wedge, usually placed palewise, with the broadest end uppermost. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pile bridge, a bridge of which the roadway is supported on piles. --
Pile cap, a beam resting upon and connecting the heads of piles. --
Pile driver, or
Pile engine, an apparatus for driving down piles, consisting usually of a high frame, with suitable appliances for raising to a height (by animal or steam power, the explosion of gunpowder, etc.) a heavy mass of iron, which falls upon the pile. --
Pile dwelling. See Lake dwelling, under Lake. --
Pile plank (Hydraul. Eng.), a thick plank used as a pile in sheet piling. See Sheet piling, under Piling. --
Pneumatic pile. See under Pneumatic. --
Screw pile, one with a screw at the lower end, and sunk by rotation aided by pressure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. pilum javelin. See Pile a stake. ] The head of an arrow or spear. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Piled p. pr. & vb. n. Piling. ] 1. To lay or throw into a pile or heap; to heap up; to collect into a mass; to accumulate; to amass; -- often with up; as, to pile up wood. “Hills piled on hills.” Dryden. “Life piled on life.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

The labor of an age in piled stones. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cover with heaps; or in great abundance; to fill or overfill; to load. [ 1913 Webster ]

To pile arms
To pile muskets (Mil.), to place three guns together so that they may stand upright, supporting each other; to stack arms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. pile, L. pila a pillar, a pier or mole of stone. Cf. Pillar. ] 1. A mass of things heaped together; a heap; as, a pile of stones; a pile of wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mass formed in layers; as, a pile of shot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A funeral pile; a pyre. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A large building, or mass of buildings. [ 1913 Webster ]

The pile o'erlooked the town and drew the fight. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Iron Manuf.) Same as Fagot, n., 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Elec.) A vertical series of alternate disks of two dissimilar metals, as copper and zinc, laid up with disks of cloth or paper moistened with acid water between them, for producing a current of electricity; -- commonly called Volta's pile, voltaic pile, or galvanic pile. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term is sometimes applied to other forms of apparatus designed to produce a current of electricity, or as synonymous with battery; as, for instance, to an apparatus for generating a current of electricity by the action of heat, usually called a thermopile. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. [ F. pile pile, an engraved die, L. pila a pillar. ] The reverse of a coin. See Reverse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cross and pile. See under Cross. --
Dry pile. See under Dry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. pilus hair. Cf. Peruke. ] 1. A hair; hence, the fiber of wool, cotton, and the like; also, the nap when thick or heavy, as of carpeting and velvet. [ 1913 Webster ]

Velvet soft, or plush with shaggy pile. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A covering of hair or fur. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To drive piles into; to fill with piles; to strengthen with piles. [ 1913 Webster ]

To sheet-pile, to make sheet piling in or around. See Sheet piling, under 2nd Piling. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. pileatus, fr. pileus a felt cap or hat. ] 1. Having the form of a cap for the head. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Having a crest covering the pileus, or whole top of the head. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pileated woodpecker (Zool.), a large American woodpecker (Ceophloeus pileatus). It is black, with a bright red pointed crest. Called also logcock, and woodcock. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From 6d Pile. ] (Iron Manuf.) Formed from a pile or fagot; as, piled iron. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From 2d Pile. ] Having a pile or point; pointed. [ Obs. ] “Magus threw a spear well piled.” Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From 1d Pile. ] Having a pile or nap. “Three-piled velvet.” L. Barry (1611). [ 1913 Webster ]