pile-workn.
/ˈpʌɪlwəːk/, U.S. /ˈpaɪlˌwərk/ 1. Work constructed or consisting of piles. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > building or providing with specific parts > [noun] > building foundations > with piles
piling1347
pallification1624
pile-work1702
pile-driving1809
spiling1841
1702 London Gaz. No. 3781/3 A new Pile-work is run out about 80 Foot from the Peer-head of Minehead.
1726 G. Leoni tr. L. B. Alberti Architecture I. 72/2 Make the pile-work deep and broad every way.
1857 G. L. Vose Handbk. Railroad Constr. viii. 178 Plans for temporary pile work, to be used during construction.
1896 Daily News 26 Sept. 2/2 In its fall it smashed the wooden pile work.
1932 Pacific Affairs 5 216 The whole of the economic structure of Europe has been built up on what might be termed the pile-work of the colonies.
1998 Saigon Times Daily (Nexis) 7 July A subcontractor..has already installed 22 out of the 36 piles, and completed 60% of ramp pilework.
2. Archaeology. A prehistoric structure of piles in a lake or swamp.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > dwelling place or abode > a dwelling > other types of dwelling > [noun] > prehistoric dwellings
broch1654
crannog1851
pile-building1863
pile-work1863
fascine dwelling1865
lake-habitation1865
palafitte1866
terramare1866
roundhouse1872
mound dwelling1897
wag1911
wheel-dwelling1931
wheelhouse1935
1863 C. Lyell Geol. Evid. Antiq. Man 28 The pile-works of Chamblon, which are of the bronze period, must be at the least 3300 years old.
1865 J. Lubbock Prehist. Times v. 169 The age of the Swiss Pileworks was at an end.
1920 Amer. Jrnl. Archaeol. 24 99 The discovery at Solferino of pile-work and other traces of prehistoric lake-dwellers.
1999 Building Design (Nexis) 5 Feb. 20 Following the discovery of pile-work habitations in 1854.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1702