Plural of pie; baked dishes consisting of pastry and filling, either sweet or savory. Can be enclosed in pastry or have just a top or bottom crust.
From Middle English pie, possibly from Old French pie meaning 'magpie,' referring to the bird's habit of collecting miscellaneous objects, similar to how pies contain various ingredients mixed together.
The connection between pies and magpies isn't just etymological - medieval pies were often filled with 'four and twenty blackbirds' or other surprises, making them literal grab-bags like a magpie's collection! The phrase 'pie in the sky' comes from a 1911 labor song mocking unrealistic promises.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.