pig pile
/ˈpɪɡˌpaɪl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.84 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To cause a group of people to lie in a pile upon another, originally as a punishment to the victim on the bottom.
American usage; Colloquial; Transitive verb
verb
To act similarly with regard to residential density: to live or cause to live in high-density settlements.
American usage; Colloquial
Example Sentences
- "She made the worst speller lie down on the floor, the next worst on top of him, and so pig-piled the whole class, dressing off the upper one with a shingle."
- "They pig-piled at the very end, and we threw ice cubes on them."
- "We're pig-piling in hot spots. If the entire population were to be given an acre of ground... they wouldn't occupy the state of Texas."
- "We feel that this is... an area that can give enjoyment to thousands of people without pig-piling them and without causing major ecological disturbances."
- "Rolling in a mud-puddle, heels up in the air, amid a mound of humanity, very pertinently called a 'pig-pile'."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɪɡˌpaɪl/
- British English: /ˈpɪɡpʌɪl/
Usage
- American usage
- Colloquial
- Transitive verb