in heraldry, an ordinary in form of a wedge, contrasting from the chief, and terminating in a point towards the bottom of the shield.

in antiquity, a pyramid built of wood, on which the bodies of the deceased were laid in order to be burnt.

in building, is used for a large stake rammed into the ground in the bottom of rivers, or in marshy land, for a foundation to build upon.

PILE is also used among architects for a mass of building.

in coinage, denotes a kind of puncheon, which, in the old way of coining with the hammer, contained the arms or other figure and inscription to be struck on the coin. See COINAGE.

Accordingly we still call the arms-side of a piece of money the pile, and the head the crofs; because in ancient coin, a crofs usually took the place of the head in ours.