piling

[pahy-ling]

noun

1. a mass of building piles considered collectively.

2. a structure composed of piles.

piling

/ ˈpaɪlɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of driving piles

2. a number of piles

3. a structure formed of piles

Word History and Origins

Origin of piling¹

First recorded in 1400–50, piling is from the late Middle English word pylyng; pile ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

In a February incident captured on video by several passengers, enough oil entered the bleed air supply of a Boeing 717 that thick plumes of smoke started piling through the vents midflight.

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Along the way, the injuries just kept piling up.

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That’s because even when the Eagles had been piling up wins to start the year, they hardly looked like the team that won last season’s Super Bowl.

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Central banks and foreign governments, in search of something that adversaries couldn’t seize, began piling into gold.

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But Westerners have helped drive the rally this year in part by piling into exchange-traded funds.

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Related Words

• girder 
• joist 
• pillar 
• plank 
• pole 
• shaft 
• sill 
• timber