Category:Heap

Heap, n. Etym: [OE. heep, heap, heap, multitude, AS. heáp; akin to OS. h, D. hoop, OHG. houf, h, G. haufe, haufen, Sw. hop, Dan. hob., Icel. h troop, flock, Russ. kupa heap, crowd, Lith. kaupas. Cf. Hope, in Forlorn hope.]

1. A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of persons. [Now Low or Humorous] The wisdom of a heap of learned men. Chaucer. A heap of vassals and slaves. Bacon. He had heaps of friends. W.Black.

2. A great number or large quantity of things not placed in a pile. [Now Low or Humorous] A vast heap, both of places of scripture and quotations. Bp. Burnet. I have noticed a heap of things in my life. R. L. Stevenson.

3. A pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body, or thrown together so as to form an elevation; as, a heap of earth or stones. Huge heaps of slain around the body rise. Dryden.

heap Heap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Heaped; p. pr. & vb. n. Heaping.] Etym: [AS. heápian.]

1. To collect in great quantity; to amass; to lay up; to accumulate; -- usually with up; as, to heap up treasures. Though he heap up silver as the dust. Job 27:16.

2. To throw or lay in a heap; to make a heap of; to pile; as, to heap stones; -- often with up; as, to heap up earth; or with on; as, to heap on wood or coal.

3. To form or round into a heap, as in measuring; to fill (a measure) more than even full.

--- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Heap - When Joshua took the city of Ai (Joshua 8:21), he burned it and "made it an heap [Heb. tel ] for ever" (Joshua 8:28). The ruins of this city were for a long time sought for in vain. It has been at length, however, identified with the mound which simply bears the name of "Tel." "There are many Tels in modern Palestine, that land of Tels, each Tel with some other name attached to it to mark the former site. But the site of Ai has no other name 'unto this day.' It is simply et-Tel, 'the heap' par excellence."