pi

¹ American  

[pahy] / paɪ /

noun

PLURAL

pis

1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet (Π, π).

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

3. Mathematics.

   1. the letter π, used as the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

   2. the ratio itself: 3.141592+.

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pi ² American  

[pahy] / paɪ /

Or pie

noun

PLURAL

pies

1. printing types mixed together indiscriminately.

2. any confused mixture; jumble.

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verb (used with object)

pied, piing

1. to reduce (printing types) to a state of confusion.

2. to jumble.

PI ³ American  

1. Law.  personal injury.

2. principal investigator.

3. Also P.I., p.i. private investigator.

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Pi. ⁴ American  

Or pi.

abbreviation

1. piaster.

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P.I. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Philippine Islands.

2. Also PI, p.i. private investigator.

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pi ¹ British  

/ paɪ /

noun

1. the 16th letter in the Greek alphabet (Π, π), a consonant, transliterated as p

2. maths a transcendental number, fundamental to mathematics, that is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Approximate value: 3.141 592…; symbol: π

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pi ² British  

/ paɪ /

noun

1. a jumbled pile of printer's type

2. a jumbled mixture

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verb

1. to spill and mix (set type) indiscriminately

2. to mix up

pi ³ British  

/ paɪ /

adjective

1. slang  short for pious pious

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PI ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Philippine Islands

2. private investigator

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pi Scientific  

/ pī /

1. An irrational number that has a numerical value of 3.14159265358979… and is represented by the symbol π. It expresses the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle and appears in many mathematical expressions.

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pi Cultural  

1. The irrational number obtained by dividing the length of the diameter of a circle into its circumference. Pi is approximately 3.1416. The sign for pi is π.

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Etymology

Origin of pi¹

First recorded in 1835–45; from Greek pî, peî, used in mathematics to represent Greek periphérion periphery ( def. )

Origin of pi¹

First recorded in 1650–60; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

She hosted beauty pageants and the Rose Parade and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, appeared on game shows, recurred on “General Hospital,” and made many guest appearances on episodic television, from “Magnum P.I.” to “The Drew Carey Show” to “Grey’s Anatomy.”

From Los Angeles Times

Lacking big themes, it’s not so much meat-and-potatoes television as fish and corn grilled over a camp fire, and on the prestige scale it sits somewhere between “Magnum P.I.” and “True Detective,” leaning toward the former.

From Los Angeles Times

He started his career in the mailroom at Universal and became a writer and producer for television shows like “Rockford Files” and “Magnum P.I.”

From Los Angeles Times

Even Charles’ goofier moments gleam with a satin elegance that scrapes against the no-nonsense manner of Estrada’s P.I.

From Salon

“That’s an unusual way to start,” the “Magnum, P.I.” and “Blue Bloods” star admits in an interview.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• inquiry agent
• private detective
• private dick
• private eye
• private investigator
• sleuth