piles
Britishplural noun
Etymology
Origin of piles
C15: from Latin pilae balls (referring to the appearance of external piles)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People she met included a widow estranged from her adult children over financial woes, who stored piles of their belongings at their mother's home.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
He also kept copious and documented records of the people he knew: hence the piles of emails, photos and other documents that are now in the public domain.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
He’d stand in the aisles overwhelmed by the Technicolor labels, the piles of Edenic produce, and the thought that his family — wherever they may be — might not be able to afford food.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
It would later become clear through the court cases that the piles of paper included cattle invoices, in large part fake.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Mom’s eyes grazed over the unmade bed, piles of clothes, and cluttered desk.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.