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piling

American  
[pahy-ling] / ˈpaɪ lɪŋ /

noun

  1. a mass of building piles considered collectively.

  2. a structure composed of piles.

piling British  
/ ˈpaɪlɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of driving piles

  2. a number of piles

  3. a structure formed of piles

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of piling

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

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.

The Treasury Department wants to talk to state insurance commissioners about the private loans piling up in insurers’ portfolios.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

The tech sector is already slamming the brakes on some of its more lavish spending, and private consumer debts are piling up.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

Locals apologize for the trash piling up on street corners, as garbage pickup has halted.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

These ridges form when chunks of sea ice are pushed toward the coast, piling up until they become thick enough to rest on the seafloor.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

In the meantime, the miller was piling the gold in little stacks and counting them.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

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.