Etymology: Cognate with Middle Dutch pijl , pile , piel (Dutch pijl ) arrow, bolt, dart, Old Saxon pīl (Middle Low German pīl ) arrow, (occasionally) javelin, Old High German pfīl (in glosses) javelin, arrow (Middle High German phīl arrow, arrowhead, German Pfeil arrow, dart) < classical Latin pīlum the heavy javelin of the Roman foot-soldier, originally pestle < the same base as pīnsere to pound (see pisé n. and adj.; compare classical Latin pīla mortar: see peal v.²); the transfer of sense is unclear but probably originates in Roman military slang. Compare ( < Middle Low German) Old Icelandic píla arrow (in late sources), Old Swedish pil, pila (Swedish pil) arrow, dart, Old Danish pil (Danish pil) arrow, dart. Compare Middle French pile javelin (1552 in Rabelais).In sense 1b after classical Latin pīlum. With sense 2b compare Dutch regional graspijl , garspijl , gerspijl small blade of grass. Perhaps compare also early modern Danish græspille , græspile , Danish regional græspille small blade of grass, although the origin of the second element of this compound is uncertain. With sense 3a compare pile n.⁶ 5a, with which there is some semantic overlap. Compare also post-classical Latin pilus stake (frequently 12th cent.–1419 in British sources). In sense 3b translating classical Latin pālus pale n.¹ The heraldic use at sense 4 is apparently an extended use of sense 1b (or perhaps directly after classical Latin pīlum). Compare post-classical Latin pila (late 14th, mid 15th cent. in British sources), and French pile (1690 in this sense), regarded in e.g. Trésor de la langue française s.v. pile³ as a specific sense of French pile mass of masonry, reverse of a coin (see pile n.⁶, pile n.²), but perhaps instead modelled on the English use.

Etymology: < Middle French pile reverse of a coin (c1200 in Old French), lower part of a minting apparatus (1258), spec. use of pile pile n.⁶ Compare post-classical Latin pila (1293 in British sources), pilus (1317, 1320 in British sources) under iron of a mint.In spite of the chronology of the first attestations, the sense ‘lower part of a minting apparatus’ was probably in fact the earlier sense in French, the pile or under iron of the coin (see coin n. 4) being a small upright iron pillar, on the flat top of which the piece of metal was laid to be stamped. With cross or pile (see sense 1) compare French jouer à croix ou pile (1535 in Middle French as jouer à croix ou pille), jouer à pile ou face (1834). Compare the following examples of post-classical Latin pila and Anglo-Norman pile:1293 Memoranda K.R. 20 & 21 Edw. I m. 35 b cedule Inuente sunt inter bona illa due pecie quarum vna vocatur pila et alia crosse que vocantur cuneus ad monetam Regis cudendam.1300 Memoranda K.R. 28 & 29 Edw. I. 61 (Nov. 10) De cuneis Cambii Dunelmensis... Vous enueyames del dit Eschekier..deux peire de Cuyns noueaux en .vj. peces. E puis..vne peire noue en treis peces, cest a sauoir a chescone peire vne pile e ij Trusseux.

Etymology: Probably < Middle French pile or its etymon classical Latin pīla (see pile n.⁶), and hence of the same origin as pile n.⁶ (although probably a separate borrowing, and not connected with pile n.⁶ 2 in terms of historical development); in semantic development probably greatly influenced by association with peel n.² 3, 4, which overlap completely in sense (although it would be difficult to explain either word as being in origin a variant of the other). Compare post-classical Latin pila palisade or peel tower (1435 in a British source).In the 16th cent. the Border peels (see peel n.² 4) are usually referred to in the English state papers as pyles or piles.

Etymology: Probably < post-classical Latin pilus (c1260 in a British source in plural pili), of unknown origin.

Etymology: Probably partly < Anglo-Norman pil, variant of Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French peil, poil (French poil ) hair, fur, coat (of a horse), type of cloth with thick nap, pile, nap, and partly < its etymon classical Latin pilus hair (see pilo- comb. form), in post-classical Latin also nap (c1290 in a British source). Compare poil n.¹Earlier currency of the word (in sense 1a) is perhaps implied by the first element of Old English pillsāpe soap for removing hair, depilatory, although this might be otherwise interpreted as representing pill n.² (compare pill v.¹ 3a).

Etymology: < Middle French pile, pille (French pile ) pier of a bridge (1287 in Old French; c1150 denoting some sort of monument), heap of things placed on top of one another (early 13th cent.), set of weights (1402–3) < classical Latin pīla pillar, pier, or mole of stone, in post-classical Latin also set of weights (1491 in a British source), of uncertain origin. Compare Old Occitan, Occitan pila column (12th cent.), pier of a bridge (13th cent.), Catalan pila heap, pier of a bridge (15th cent.), Spanish pila heap (late 16th cent.; probably < Catalan), Italian pila pier of a bridge (13th cent.); compare also Middle Dutch pile , pijl pillar, pier, pile , piel , pille heap, Middle Low German pīl heap. See also pile n.³ and discussion at that entry.With sense 3 compare French pile (1809 in la pile de Volta ). With sense 5a compare pier n.¹ 2a, with which there is some semantic overlap.

Etymology: < pile n.¹

Etymology: < pile n.⁶ Compare post-classical Latin pilare to pile up, heap (13th cent.).In Middle English prefixed and unprefixed forms of the past participle are attested (see y- prefix).