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noun B1 Intermediate Common

pie

peye
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Pie (noun) means a baked dish with a pastry crust and a filling, sweet or savoury. Example: “He cut the cold pie into six equal portions for the picnic.”

noun
1
A baked dish with a pastry crust and a filling, sweet or savoury.
"He cut the cold pie into six equal portions for the picnic."
"She baked an apple pie for dessert."
"We had steak pie and chips for dinner."
2
A whole amount of something to be divided into shares.
"If the pie stays the same size, giving one group more means another gets less."
"The two firms fought over their share of the shrinking market pie."
"Each department wants a bigger slice of the budget pie."
3
A pie chart.
"The teacher drew a pie on the board to show how we spend our day."
"Click the pie to see which category takes up the largest portion."
"The report showed spending as a pie broken into five categories."

How to use pie

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA baked pastry dish, or figuratively a whole amount to be divided up.

Common mistake

In the UK "pie" usually implies savoury (meat pie); in the US it more often implies sweet (fruit pie).

UK vs US

British English leans savoury by default; American English leans sweet by default.

Common pairings
apple pie pie chart a slice of the pie easy as pie
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Word forms

Plural
pies
Third person singular
pies
Past tense
pied
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He cut the cold _____ into six equal portions for the picnic.

Etymology

From Middle English pye, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to the magpie, since a savoury pie mixes several ingredients much like the bird was thought to collect miscellaneous items.

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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pastry tart pasty portion share slice

Related words

part girl bit deal cut share section piece

Rhymes for pie

die lie tie sie vie hie i.e. brie movie eerie moxie bogie
See all rhymes for pie →

Frequently asked questions

What does “pie” mean?
The word “pie” means a baked dish with a pastry crust and a filling, sweet or savoury. In plain terms, a baked pastry dish, or figuratively a whole amount to be divided up.
How do you pronounce “pie”?
“Pie” is pronounced peye (/paɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “pie” in a sentence?
Here is “pie” used in a sentence: “She baked an apple pie for dessert.”
What part of speech is “pie”?
“Pie” is a noun.
Where does the word “pie” come from?
The word “pie” comes from Middle English. From Middle English pye, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to the magpie, since a savoury pie mixes several ingredients much like the bird was thought to collect miscellaneous items.
Is “pie” a common word?
“Pie” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “pie” have?
“Pie” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a baked dish with a pastry crust and a filling, sweet or savoury.
What is the difference between a 'pie' and a 'tart'?
A pie is a baked dish with a pastry crust and a filling, and it often has a top crust or is fully enclosed. A tart is usually open-topped with no upper crust, and its filling is visible on the surface.
What is the difference between a sweet pie and a savoury pie?
A sweet pie has a sugary filling such as fruit, cream, or custard and is usually served as dessert. A savoury pie is filled with ingredients like meat, cheese, or vegetables and is eaten as a main course.

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