piles
/pʌɪlz
/plural noun
Haemorrhoids.Stomach ulcers, piles, ulcerative colitis (inflammation of the colon) and bowel cancer may cause bleeding in the gut and result in anaemia....
- Haemorrhoids, also known as piles are rather like varicose veins in the canal of the anus.
- Unfortunately confusion still exists among lay people and doctors, who misuse the terms haemorrhoids and piles to cover a variety of complaints.
Origin
Late Middle English: probably from Latin pila 'ball' (because of the globular form of external haemorrhoids).
pellet from Late Middle English:
Pellet is from Old French pelote ‘metal ball’, from a diminutive of Latin pila ‘ball’. Latin pila is also the source of pill, originally balls of medicine, and piles for haemorrhoids (both LME). Platoon is a less obvious relative. It comes from French peloton ‘platoon’, literally ‘small ball’. It captured the concept of a small body of foot soldiers acting as a closely organized unit.