A woodpile is a stack of cut logs and branches stored for later use, usually for burning in a fireplace or wood stove. When you see a woodpile beside someone's house, you're looking at their supply of firewood, carefully stacked to keep it dry and ready for cold winter nights.

Building a good woodpile takes some skill. The wood needs air circulation so it can dry out, or season, which makes it burn better and produce more heat. People often stack wood in crisscross patterns or lean it against a wall, creating a structure that won't topple over. A well-made woodpile might stand several feet tall and stretch along the side of a barn or garage.

Sometimes people also use woodpile in expressions to talk about hidden problems, like discovering that something which looked fine on the surface has issues lurking underneath. This comes from the idea that you might find unwelcome creatures like snakes or rodents hiding in the dark spaces between the logs.

In pioneer days and rural areas, the size of someone's woodpile before winter showed how prepared they were. Running out of firewood in January could mean cold, difficult months ahead. Even today, people who heat with wood spend summer and fall cutting, splitting, and stacking their woodpiles, putting in hard work during warm weather so they'll stay comfortable when temperatures drop.