heaped up
Piled high or filled past the rim, not leveled off.
Also called heaping, piled high.
Updated September 24, 2026
heaped up pronunciation
/HEEPT up/
Meaning
Means something is stacked or ladled on thick. A heaped-up plate of biscuits and gravy. A truck bed heaped up with firewood. In kitchen talk it often contrasts with a level spoonful. Country cooks like a measure that sits proud of the rim.
How folks use it
- “She brought me a heaped-up plate and dared me to leave any.”
- “That trailer was heaped up with brush from the fence line.”
Origin and etymology
Comes from heap, plain English for a pile. Southern and Appalachian talk also uses heap for "a lot" ("a heap of folks"), so heaped up fits natural. Measuring spoons and dry goods have long distinguished heaped from level measures in home cooking.