dogpile meaning (colloquial): definition

dogpile

noun

UK /ˈdɒɡ pʌɪl/ · US /ˈdɔɡ ˌpaɪl/

Etymology From dog + pile. In reference to piles of people, originally as a noun after earlier pig pile. In reference to dog excrement, a clipping of pile of shit.

US, Colloquial A disorderly pile of people formed by jumping upon a victim.

The bottom man of a 'dog pile' in a fraternity house scuffle is in a hospital with a neck dislocation.1948 November 21, Los Angeles Times, Sect. i, p. 20

US, Colloquial, Figuratively Any similarly disorderly pile of people or things.

Purdy tucked the pigskin under his elbow and cantered over a dog-pile for a tally.1921 November 19, The Nebraska State Journal, page 3:
Unscrambling the dogpile of objects can be messy.1993, Christopher G. Jones, “Object-Oriented Analysis with CASE”, in Computer-aided Software Engineering, →ISBN, page 348:

US, Colloquial, Euphemistic A pile of dog excrement.

Mrs. Brown cleaned her lawn up bright and early each day; Picked up all the dog piles so her children could play.1950 March 6, The Tri-City Herald, page 6:

Internet The situation where many participants attack the same user (on a discussion forum or similar).

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A cache stampede.

Synonyms: pig pile, scrum, ruck, stacks on the mill, stacks on, pile-up, dogshit
Related terms: more sacks to the mill, stack-upon-the-kill

dogpile

verb

Etymology From dog + pile. In reference to piles of people, originally as a noun after earlier pig pile. In reference to dog excrement, a clipping of pile of shit.

US, Ambitransitive, Colloquial, Often, With 'on' To jump into a dogpile.

He can either take a beating from one man or... be dogpiled by a dozen men.c. 1947, Tamotsu Shibutani, The Derelicts of Company K, page 273:
I fumbled the snap, fell on the ball and about 10 guys dog-piled on top of me.1989 September 7, The Los Angeles Times, Sect. ix, p. 16

2 more examples

A vampire got her around the neck from behind; then more, dogpiling her.2003, Nancy Holder, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chosen, →ISBN, page 657:
That story — about Carlson’s conflicted response to the sight of “a group of Trump guys” dogpiling an “Antifa kid” — appears to involve a crisis of conscience, an unexpected, chastening eruption of empathy.2023 May 3, A. O. Scott, “Tucker Carlson’s Code of Whiteness”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

US, Ambitransitive, Colloquial, Figuratively To pile on, to overwhelm in other senses.

Internet For many participants to attack the same user (on a discussion forum or similar).

But this guy was serious, using online payment services and dogpiling her e-mail box within minutes, requesting expedited shipping.2005, Craig Spector, Underground, →ISBN, page 169:

Synonyms: pile up, pig pile, bundle
Derived terms: dogpiler

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.