Also means
to brake sharply
Usage Note
Piler has two main everyday senses: to pound/crush ingredients (as with a mortar) and, in informal driving language, to slam on the brakes (piler net). In cooking, piler de l'ail means to crush garlic. The noun pilon (pestle or chicken drumstick) comes from the same root.
Examples
"Elle pile les épices dans un mortier."
Natural Translation
She crushes the spices in a mortar.

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