pilha

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ʎɐ/

• Homophone: pila (Madeira)
• Rhymes: -iʎɐ
• Hyphenation: pi‧lha

Etymology 1

pilhas (sense 2)

From Latin pīla. Sense 4 is a semantic loan from French pile, which was in turn transfered to sense 2.

Noun

pilha f (plural pilhas)

1. stack; pile; heap (mass of things)

   Synonyms: acúmulo, amontoado, montão, monte, parga, ruma

3. single cell battery (device that produces electricity)

   Coordinate term: bateria

4. (computing) stack (data structure)

   Hypernym: estrutura de dados

   Coordinate terms: árvore, deque, fila, heap

6. (historical) voltaic pile

Usage notes

• Portuguese makes a distinction between pilha and bateria, mainly based on shape, size and use. This is also true for its cognates French pile and Italian and Spanish pila:
  • Pilha refers to small, cillindrical and usually disposable batteries that fit in battery holders. This applies to the ones used in portable electric devices, like flashlights and remotes.
  • Bateria is used for rectangular, rechargeable batteries, like the ones present in cars and cellphones.

Derived terms

• pilhão
• pilhinha

Related terms

• empilhar

Etymology 2

Deverbal from pilhar (“to pillage, to sack”).

Noun

pilha f (plural pilhas)

1. theft

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

pilha

1. inflection of pilhar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “pilha”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “pilha”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025