pie

¹

[ pahy ]

noun

1. a baked food having a filling of fruit, meat, pudding, etc., prepared in a pastry-lined pan or dish and often topped with a pastry crust:

   apple pie; meat pie.

2. a layer cake with a filling of custard, cream jelly, or the like:

   chocolate cream pie.

3. a total or whole that can be divided:

   They want a bigger part of the profit pie.

4. an activity or affair:

   He has his finger in the political pie too.

5. pizza.

pie

²

[ pahy ]

noun

1. magpie.

pie

³

[ pahy ]

noun

, pied, pie·ing.

1. a spelling variant of pi ².

pie

⁴

or pye

[ pahy ]

noun

1. (in England before the Reformation) a book of ecclesiastical rules for finding the particulars of the service for the day.

pie

⁵

[ pahy ]

noun

1. a former bronze coin of India, the 12th part of an anna.

PIE

⁶

abbreviation for

1. Proto-Indo-European.

pie

¹

/ paɪ /

noun

1. a baked food consisting of a sweet or savoury filling in a pastry-lined dish, often covered with a pastry crust
2. have a finger in the pie
   have a finger in the pie
   1. to have an interest in or take part in some activity
   2. to meddle or interfere
3. pie in the sky
   pie in the sky illusory hope or promise of some future good; false optimism

pie

²

/ paɪ /

noun

1. See pi
   printing a variant spelling of pi 2

pie

³

/ paɪ /

noun

1. See magpie
   an archaic or dialect name for magpie

pie

⁴

/ paɪ /

adjective

1. be pie on informal.
   be pie on to be keen on

pie

⁵

/ paɪ /

noun

1. a very small former Indian coin worth one third of a pice

pie

⁶

/ paɪ /

noun

1. history a book for finding the Church service for any particular day

Other Words From

• pielike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pie¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English pi(e), pey; of obscure origin

Origin of pie²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English pi(e), peie, from Old French, from Latin pīca, akin to pīcus “woodpecker”

Origin of pie³

First recorded in 1470–80; translation of Latin pīca “magpie”; (the allusion is obscure); pica ¹, pie ²

Origin of pie⁴

First recorded in 1855–60; from Hindi pāī “quarter, fourth part,” from Sanskrit pādikā; pada ( def ); pice ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of pie¹

C14: of obscure origin

Origin of pie²

C13: via Old French from Latin pīca magpie; related to Latin pīcus woodpecker

Origin of pie³

from Māori pai ana

Origin of pie⁴

C19: from Hindi pā'ī, from Sanskrit pādikā a fourth

Origin of pie⁵

C15: from Medieval Latin pica almanac; see pica ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. easy as pie, extremely easy or simple.
2. nice as pie, extremely well-behaved, agreeable, or the like:

   The children were nice as pie.

3. pie in the sky,
   1. the illusory prospect of future benefits:

      Political promises are often pie in the sky.

   2. a state of perfect happiness; utopia:

      to promise pie in the sky.

More idioms and phrases containing pie

In addition to the idiom beginning with pie , also see apple-pie order ; easy as pie ; eat crow (humble pie) ; finger in the pie ; slice of the pie .

Example Sentences

A lot of times, somebody’s “secret family recipe” for pumpkin pie is just the recipe off the back of the can of Libby’s pumpkin puree.

From Eater

Others, fearing the potential for super-spreaders to hide among the pie stands and farm rows, worry that travelers could bring a second wave of infections to their doorsteps.

From Eater

With about 79% of private employers with 500 or more employees self-funding their health-care benefits, Verily is betting it can grab a piece of a very large pie.

From Fortune

The pie is not fixed, and our interactions may be more positive-sum than not.

From Singularity Hub 

“Screaming, marching and signs are not the whole pie,” he said.

From Voice of San Diego

The process of co-opting black music and selling it back to the adoring public in whiteface is as American as apple pie.

From The Daily Beast

Not enough black films are being made to warrant a piece of the pie.

From The Daily Beast

This is a twist on a classic American pot pie but dressed up for company.

From The Daily Beast

Think one small piece of pie or a half-cup of eggnog, says Zied, will do the trick.

From The Daily Beast

Another vital way to expand the pie is to collaborate with industry partners.

From The Daily Beast

Having achieved this feat he sighed again, and applied himself assiduously to the pie.

From Project Gutenberg

I want Mis' Calvert to taste it, an' when she does she'll say she never knew before what cherry pie could be!

From Project Gutenberg

Mis' Spencer, you set that cherry pie o' yourn on this particular spot an' figure of this table-cloth!

From Project Gutenberg

I dont think much of this jam pie, complained Chet, holding up a wedge that he had taken from his sisters basket.

From Project Gutenberg

Tessa was shallow and she sighed and asked her if she would take apple pie.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cake
• candy
• confection
• cookie
• fruit
• ice cream
• pastry
• sweet