pile
Preserved but no longer current.
A sum of money; generally the whole of a man’s private means. A term originally peculiar to Californian miners, in reference to their accumulated dust and nuggets. American gamblers speak of "putting all the PILE on" when they fancy anything very much. "To go the whole PILE" runs level with our sporting phrase, "To go a raker."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “pile” mean?
A sum of money; generally the whole of a man’s private means. A term originally peculiar to Californian miners, in reference to their accumulated dust and nuggets. American gamblers speak of "putting all the PILE on" when they fancy anything very much. "To go the whole PILE" runs level with our sporting phrase, "To go a raker."
Is “pile” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.