Pile vs. Pole — What's the Difference?

A quantity of objects stacked or thrown together in a heap.

Either extremity of an axis through a sphere.

A large accumulation or quantity

Either of the regions contiguous to the extremities of the earth's rotational axis, the North Pole or the South Pole.

A large amount of money

(Physics) See magnetic pole.

A nuclear reactor.

(Electricity) Either of two oppositely charged terminals, as in an electric cell or battery.

A voltaic pile.

(Astronomy) See celestial pole.

A very large building or complex of buildings.

Either extremity of the main axis of a nucleus, cell, or organism.

A funeral pyre.

Either end of the spindle formed in a cell during mitosis.

A heavy post of timber, concrete, or steel, driven into the earth as a foundation or support for a structure.

The point on a nerve cell where a process originates.

(Heraldry) A wedge-shaped charge pointing downward.

Either of two antithetical ideas, propensities, forces, or positions.

A Roman javelin.

A fixed point of reference.

Cut or uncut loops of yarn forming the surface of certain fabrics, such as velvet, plush, and carpeting.

The origin in a polar coordinate system; the vertex of a polar angle.

The surface so formed.

A point in the complex plane at which a given function is not defined.

Soft fine hair, fur, or wool.

A long, relatively slender, generally rounded piece of wood or other material.

To place or lay in a pile or heap

The long tapering wooden shaft extending up from the front axle of a vehicle to the collars of the animals drawing it; a tongue.

To load (something) with a heap or pile

See rod.

To add or increase to abundance or to a point of burdensomeness

A unit of area equal to a square rod.

To form a heap or pile.

(Sports) The inside position on the starting line of a racetrack

To move in, out, or forward in a disorderly mass or group

A native or inhabitant of Poland.

To drive piles into.

A person of Polish ancestry.

To support with piles.

To propel with a pole

A mass of things heaped together; a heap.

To propel (oneself) or make (one's way) by the use of ski poles

(informal) A group or list of related items up for consideration, especially in some kind of selection process.

To support (plants) with a pole.

A mass formed in layers.

To strike, poke, or stir with a pole.

A funeral pile; a pyre.

To propel a boat or raft with a pole.

(slang) A large amount of money.

To use ski poles to maintain or gain speed.

A large building, or mass of buildings.

Originally, a stick; now specifically, a long and slender piece of metal or (especially) wood, used for various construction or support purposes.

A bundle of pieces of wrought iron to be worked over into bars or other shapes by rolling or hammering at a welding heat; a fagot.

A construction by which an animal is harnessed to a carriage.

A vertical series of alternate disks of two dissimilar metals (especially copper and zinc), laid up with disks of cloth or paper moistened with acid water between them, for producing a current of electricity; a voltaic pile, or galvanic pile.

(angling) A type of basic fishing rod.

A beam, pole, or pillar, driven completely into the ground.

A long sports implement used for pole-vaulting; now made of glassfiber or carbon fiber, formerly also metal, bamboo and wood have been used.

An atomic pile; an early form of nuclear reactor.

A telescope used to identify birds, aeroplanes or wildlife.

(obsolete) The reverse (or tails) of a coin.

(historical) A unit of length, equal to a rod (4 chain or 2 yards).

A list or league

(motor racing) Pole position.

(obsolete) A dart; an arrow.

A gun.

The head of an arrow or spear.

(vulgar) A penis

A large stake, or piece of pointed timber, steel etc., driven into the earth or sea-bed for the support of a building, a pier, or other superstructure, or to form a cofferdam, etc.

Either of the two points on the earth's surface around which it rotates; also, similar points on any other rotating object.

(heraldry) One of the ordinaries or subordinaries having the form of a wedge, usually placed palewise, with the broadest end uppermost.

A point of magnetic focus, especially each of the two opposing such points of a magnet (designated north and south).

A hemorrhoid.

(geometry) A fixed point relative to other points or lines.

Hair, especially when very fine or short; the fine underfur of certain animals. (Formerly countable, now treated as a collective singular.)

(electricity) A contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves.

The raised hairs, loops or strands of a fabric; the nap of a cloth.

(complex analysis) For a meromorphic function $f(z)$, any point $a$ for which $f(z)\; \backslash rightarrow\; \backslash infty$ as $z\; \backslash rightarrow\; a$.

To lay or throw into a pile or heap; to heap up; to collect into a mass; to accumulate

(obsolete) The firmament; the sky.

(transitive) To cover with heaps; or in great abundance; to fill or overfill; to load.

Either of the states that characterize a bipolar disorder.

(transitive) To add something to a great number.

To propel by pushing with poles, to push with a pole.

(transitive) (of vehicles) To create a hold-up.

To identify something quite precisely using a telescope.

To place (guns, muskets, etc.) together in threes so that they can stand upright, supporting each other.

(transitive) To furnish with poles for support.

(transitive) To drive piles into; to fill with piles; to strengthen with piles.

(transitive) To convey on poles.

(transitive) To give a pile to; to make shaggy.

(transitive) To stir, as molten glass, with a pole.

A hair; hence, the fiber of wool, cotton, and the like; also, the nap when thick or heavy, as of carpeting and velvet.

To strike (the ball) very hard.

A covering of hair or fur.

(transitive) To induce piezoelectricity in (a substance) by aligning the dipoles.

The head of an arrow or spear.

A native or inhabitant of Poland; a Polander.

A large stake, or piece of timber, pointed and driven into the earth, as at the bottom of a river, or in a harbor where the ground is soft, for the support of a building, a pier, or other superstructure, or to form a cofferdam, etc.

A long, slender piece of wood; a tall, slender piece of timber; the stem of a small tree whose branches have been removed; as, specifically: (a) A carriage pole, a wooden bar extending from the front axle of a carriage between the wheel horses, by which the carriage is guided and held back. (b) A flag pole, a pole on which a flag is supported. (c) A Maypole. See Maypole. (d) A barber's pole, a pole painted in stripes, used as a sign by barbers and hairdressers. (e) A pole on which climbing beans, hops, or other vines, are trained.

One of the ordinaries or subordinaries having the form of a wedge, usually placed palewise, with the broadest end uppermost.

A measuring stick; also, a measure of length equal to 5 yards, or a square measure equal to 30 square yards; a rod; a perch.

A mass of things heaped together; a heap; as, a pile of stones; a pile of wood.

Either extremity of an axis of a sphere; especially, one of the extremities of the earth's axis; as, the north pole.

A mass formed in layers; as, a pile of shot.

A point upon the surface of a sphere equally distant from every part of the circumference of a great circle; or the point in which a diameter of the sphere perpendicular to the plane of such circle meets the surface. Such a point is called the pole of that circle; as, the pole of the horizon; the pole of the ecliptic; the pole of a given meridian.

A funeral pile; a pyre.

One of the opposite or contrasted parts or directions in which a polar force is manifested; a point of maximum intensity of a force which has two such points, or which has polarity; as, the poles of a magnet; the north pole of a needle.

A large building, or mass of buildings.

The firmament; the sky.

A vertical series of alternate disks of two dissimilar metals, as copper and zinc, laid up with disks of cloth or paper moistened with acid water between them, for producing a current of electricity; - commonly called Volta's pile, voltaic pile, or galvanic pile.

To furnish with poles for support; as, to pole beans or hops.

The reverse of a coin. See Reverse.

To convey on poles; as, to pole hay into a barn.

To drive piles into; to fill with piles; to strengthen with piles.

To impel by a pole or poles, as a boat.

To lay or throw into a pile or heap; to heap up; to collect into a mass; to accumulate; to amass; - often with up; as, to pile up wood.

To stir, as molten glass, with a pole.

To cover with heaps; or in great abundance; to fill or overfill; to load.

A long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic

A collection of objects laid on top of each other

A native or inhabitant of Poland

(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;

One of two divergent or mutually exclusive opinions;

A large sum of money (especially as pay or profit);

A linear measure of 16.5 feet

Fine soft dense hair (as the fine short hair of cattle or deer or the wool of sheep or the undercoat of certain dogs)

A square rod of land

Battery consisting of voltaic cells arranged in series; the earliest electric battery devised by Volta

One of two points of intersection of the Earth's axis and the celestial sphere

A column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure

One of two antipodal points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface

The yarn (as in a rug or velvet or corduroy) that stands up from the weave;

A contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves

A nuclear reactor that uses controlled nuclear fission to generate energy

A long fiberglass sports implement used for pole vaulting

Arrange in stacks;

One of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetism seems to be concentrated

Press tightly together or cram;

Propel with a pole;

Place or lay as if in a pile;

Support on poles;

Deoxidize molten metals by stirring them with a wooden pole