Online Etymology Dictionary

pile (1): "mass, heap," early 15c., "pillar, pier of a bridge," from L. pila "stone barrier." Sense development in Latin from "pier, harbor wall of stones," to "something heaped up." In Eng., sense of "heap of things" is attested from mid-15c. (the verb in this sense is recorded from mid-14c.). The meaning "large building" (late 14c.) is probably also derived from this word. Pile on "attack vigorously" is from 1894, Amer.Eng. Pile-up "multi-vehicle crash" first recorded 1929.
pile (2): "heavy pointed beam," from O.E. pil "stake," also "arrow," from L. pilum heavy javelin of the Roman foot soldier, lit. "pestle" (source of O.N. pila, Ger. Pfeil "arrow"). Pile-driver in the fig. sense of "very strong hit" is recorded from 1958.
pile (3): "soft, raised surface upon cloth," mid-14c., from Anglo-Norm. pyle or M.Du. pijl, both from L. pilus "hair." Phonological evidence rules out transmission via O.Fr. cognate peil, poil.
construction: mid-15c., from L. constructionem, from pp. stem of construere "pile up together, build," from com- "together" + struere "to pile up" (see structure).
stack: c.1300, "pile, heap, or group of things," from O.N. stakkr "haystack" (cf. Dan. stak, Swed. stack "heap, stack"), from P.Gmc. *stakkoz, from PIE *stognos- (cf. O.C.S. stogu "heap," Rus. stog "haystack," Lith. stokas "pillar"), from base *steg- "pole, stick" (see stake (n.)). Meaning "set of shelves on which books are set out" is from 1879. Used of the chimneys of factories, locomotives, etc., since 1825. The verb is attested from early 14c., "to pile up grain;" the meaning "arrange unfairly" (in stack the deck) is first recorded 1825. Stack up "compare against" is 1903, from notion of piles of poker chips (1896). Stacked, of women's bodies, "well-built in a sexual sense" is from 1942.
stockpile (n.): 1872, from stock (n.2) + pile. Originally a term in mining. The verb is attested from 1921. Extended to general use during World War II.
bing: "heap or pile," 1510s, from O.N. bingr "heap." Also used from early 14c. as a word for bin, perhaps from notion of "place where things are piled."
Pilate: c.1400 as a term of reproach, from the Roman surname, esp. that of Pontius, a governor of Judaea, from L. Pilatus, lit. "armed with javelins," from pilum "javelin" (see pile (2)).
strain (n.): "line of descent," O.E. strion, streon "gain, begetting," from P.Gmc. *streun- "to pile up," from PIE base *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure). Applied to animal species first in 1607.
terry: "loop raised in pile-weaving, left uncut," 1784, possibly an alteration of Fr. tiré "drawn," from pp. of tirer "draw out" (cf. cognate Ger. gezogener Sammet "drawn velvet").
construe: mid-14c., from L.L. construere "to relate grammatically," in classical L. "to pile together" (see construction); also see construct, which is a later acquisition of the same word. Related: Construal (1960).
congeries: 1610s, from L. congeries "heap, pile, collected mass," from congerere "to carry together" (see congest). False sing. congery is from 1866.
congest: 1538, "to bring together" (trans.), from L. congestus, pp. of congerere "to bring together, pile up," from com- "together" + gerere "to carry, perform." Medical sense of "unnatural accumulation" (1758) led to transferred (intrans.) sense of "overcrowd" (1859).
pilaster: a square column, 1575, from M.Fr. pilastre (1545), from It. pilastro, from M.L. pilastrum (1341), from pila, "buttress, pile" (from L. pila, see pillar) + L. -aster, suffix expressing "incomplete resemblance."
lathe: "machine for turning," 1310, probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. Dan. drejelad "turning-lathe," O.N. hlaða "pile of shavings under a lathe," related to hlaða "to load, lade.")
tower: O.E. torr, from L. turris "high structure" (cf. O.Fr. tor, 11c.; Sp., It. torre "tower"), possibly from a pre-I.E. Mediterranean language. Also borrowed separately 13c. as tour, from O.Fr. tur. The modern spelling first recorded in 1520s. Meaning "lofty pile or mass" is recorded from mid-14c. The verb is attested from c.1400.
instruction: 1412, from O.Fr. instruction, from L. instructionem (nom. instructio) "building, arrangement, teaching," from instructus, pp. of instruere "arrange, inform, teach," from in- "on" + struere "to pile, build" (see structure).
obstruction: 1530s, from L. obstructionem (nom. obstructio) "a building up," from obstructus, pp. of obstruere "block up, build up, hinder," from ob "against" + struere "to pile, build" (see structure).
destroy: earlly 13c., from O.Fr. destruire, from V.L. *destrugerie (infl. by destructos), from L. destruere "tear down, demolish," lit. "un-build," from de- "un-, down" + struere "to pile, build" (see structure).
tote: "to carry," 1677, of unknown origin; originally attested in Virginia, but OED discounts the popular theory of its origin in a W.African language (cf. Kikongo tota "pick up," Kimbundu tuta "carry, load," related to Swahili tuta "pile up, carry"). Tote bag is first recorded 1900.
tor: "high, rocky hill," O.E. torr "tower, rock." Obviously cognate with Gael. torr "lofty hill, mound," O.Welsh twrr "heap, pile;" and probably ult. from L. turris "high structure" see tower). But sources disagree on whether the Celts borrowed it from the Anglo-Saxons or the other way round.
heap: O.E. heap "pile, great number, multitude," from W.Gmc. *khaupaz (cf. O.S. hop, M.L.G. hupe, Du. hoop, Ger. Haufe "heap"), probably related to O.E. heah "high." The verb is from O.E. heapian. Slang meaning "old car" is attested from 1924.
peel (v.): "to strip off," developed from O.E. pilian "to peel," and O.Fr. pillier, both from L. pilare "to strip of hair," from pilus "hair." Probably also infl. by L. pellis "skin, hide." The noun is 1583, from earlier pill, pile (1388), from the verb.
exaggerate: 1530s, "to pile up, accumulate," from L. exaggeratus, pp. of exaggerare "heighten, amplify, magnify," from ex- "thoroughly" + aggerare "heap up," from agger (gen. aggeris) "heap," from aggerere "bring together, carry toward," from ad- "to, toward" + gerere "carry." Sense of "overstate" first recorded in English 1560s. Related: Exaggerated; exaggerating.
rood: O.E. rod "pole," varying from 6 to 8 yards, also "cross," especially that upon which Christ suffered, also "measure of land," prop. 40 square poles or perches, from P.Gmc. *rodo (cf. O.S. ruoda "stake, pile, cross," O.Fris. rode, M.Du. roede, O.H.G. ruota, Ger. Rute "rod"), probably connected with the root of rod. Klein suggests a connection between this group and L. ratis "raft," retae "trees standing on the bank of a stream;" O.C.S. ratiste "spear, staff," Lith. rekles "scaffolding."
structure: c.1440, "action or process of building or construction," from L. structura "a fitting together, adjustment, building," from structus, pp. of struere "to pile, build, assemble," related to strues "heap," from PIE *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (cf. Skt. strnoti "strews, throws down;" Avestan star- "to spread out, stretch out;" Gk. stornymi "strew," stroma "bedding, mattress," sternon "breast, breastbone;" L. sternere "to stretch, extend;" O.C.S. stira, streti "spread," strama "district;" Rus. stroji "order;" Goth. straujan, O.H.G. strouwen, O.E. streowian "to sprinkle, strew;" O.E. streon "strain," streaw "straw, that which is scattered;" O.H.G. stirna "forehead," strala "arrow, lightning bolt;" O.Ir. fo-sernaim "spread out," srath "a wide river valley;" Welsh srat "plain"). Meaning "that which is constructed, a building or edifice" is from 1615. Structured "organized so as to produce results" is from 1959.