pie

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural pies
1
a
: a dessert consisting of a filling (as of fruit or custard) in a pastry shell or topped with pastry or both
an apple pie
a slice of pumpkin pie
… desserts include lots of berry pies, butter pecan ice cream pies with a hot caramel topping, flummeries, and crisps.Judith and Evan Jones
b
: a meat dish baked with biscuit or pastry crust
a chicken pie
compare potpie
2
: pizza
The pizzeria earned its VPN (that's Vera Pizza Napoletana) status … for its authentic Neapolitan pies which are baked in a wood-fired oven imported from Italy.Katie Jackson
3
a
: affair, business
… she wanted her finger … in every possible social pieMary Deasy
b
: a whole regarded as divisible into shares
giving the less fortunate … a larger share of the economic pieR. M. Hutchins

pie

2 of 4

verb

pied; pieing; pies

transitive verb

informal
: to throw a pie at (someone) : to hit (someone) especially in the face with a pie
Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope was the latest target of a group of pie-wielding activists. … Pope was pied because he has gone against the interests of Sierra Club founder John Muir and the environment in his stance on such issues as the Headwaters Forest deal, the group said in a statement.Associated Press
One of his first duties as cub master was to be "pied" by those cub scouts who sold the most popcorn during a fundraiser to help pay for summer camp.Carol Malley

pie

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural pies
: magpie

pie

4 of 4

noun (3)

less common spelling of pi

1
: type that is spilled or mixed
2
: a pi character or matrix

Examples of pie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Chick-fil-A said in a news release there will be five new pizza pies and a Pepperoni Pizza 'Round available exclusively to customers at Little Blue Menu College Park beginning March 18. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Culinary choices include chickpea smash, cucumber chive or ham and tomato sandwiches, mini charcuterie boards, salads and fruit pies on a stick. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 This tequila is said to have notes of fruit on the nose, followed by bread, strudel, and apple pie on the palate. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Xanthan is best suited for cakes, cookies, brownies, or pie dough, while psyllium husk works miracles in breads. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 Festivities at Fountain Square: Live music and specialty foods like bangers and mash, corned beef sandwiches and shepherds pie. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024 Here's why What does the prickly pear meringue pie consist of? The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 Use them to bake pie, crumbles, compotes, salsas, and to top yogurt. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Today, some people set bear fat aside to make pie crust, tortillas, or to grease up a skillet. Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Those pied include Andy Warhol, economist Milton Friedman, logging industry executive Charles Hurwitz, Monsanto chairman Robert Shapiro and Bill Gates. Cakes have become subjects of political debates for both sides. Shelly Tan, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English

Verb

derivative of pie entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pica; akin to Latin picus woodpecker, Old High German speh

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1977, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pie was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near pie

Cite this Entry

“Pie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pie. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pie

noun
ˈpī
: a dish consisting of a pastry crust and a filling (as of fruit or meat)

More from Merriam-Webster on pie

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