pile

/ˈpī(-ə)l/

Middle English, dart, quill, pole driven into the ground, from Old English pīl, from Latin pilum javelin

noun

  1. a long slender column usually of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete driven into the ground to carry a vertical load

  2. a wedge-shaped heraldic charge usually placed vertically with the broad end up

  3. a target-shooting arrowhead without cutting edges

… thus Ellet reported that the riverbed was … firm enough to drive piles into for the foundations of piers.

verb

  1. to drive piles into

verb

  1. to lay or place in a pile : stack

  2. to heap in abundance : load

  3. to collect little by little into a mass —usually used with up