impale
English
editAlternative forms
edit- empale (obsolete)
Etymology
editFrom Middle French, from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin palus, whence also pale.
Pronunciation
editVerb
editimpale (third-person singular simple present impales, present participle impaling, simple past and past participle impaled)
- (transitive) To pierce (something) with any long, pointed object.
- (transitive, heraldry) To place two coats of arms side by side on the same shield (often those of two spouses upon marriage).
- (transitive, intransitive) To pierce with a pale; to put to death by fixing on a sharp stake.
- (transitive, intransitive) To enclose or fence with stakes.
- 1624, John Smith, “The Present Estate of Nevv-Plimoth”, in Iohn Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Michael Sparkes, →OCLC, book 6; republished as The Generall Historie of Virginia, [...], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Edward Blackmore, 1632, →OCLC, page 247:
- [T]he Tovvne is impailed about halfe a mile compaſſe.
Synonyms
edit- (pierce something with any long, pointed object): fix, stake, stick, run through, transfix
- (enclose or fence with stakes): pale, palisade, picket
Derived terms
editTranslations
editput to death by piercing with a pale
|
pierce something with any long, pointed object
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂ǵ-
- English terms borrowed from Middle French
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/eɪl
- Rhymes:English/eɪl/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- en:Heraldry
- English intransitive verbs
- English terms with quotations