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.
She told me that mosquito populations spiked in areas with more human-made mosquito habitat, such as abandoned buildings, unkempt vacant lots, and piles of discarded bulky items.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
Left behind is a charred out refrigerator, bed frames, a worn out and graffiti-covered couch, piles of left-behind clothes and the burnt debris of the home that once stood there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
With piles of rubbish lining the streets of Havana, private firms will be able to operate waste collection and recycling services.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Bush's desk is seen piled with paperwork and post, while underneath, there are piles of rubbish.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Looking at the rubble piles where buildings used to be, in the windows of the shops or watching the factory workers—the factories were all German now—go to and from their shifts.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
