spile

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spaɪl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪl

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch or Middle Low German spile (“splinter, peg”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *spīlaz (“splinter, peg”), from Proto-Indo-European *spey- (“prickle, pointed stick”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian spyl, German Speil (“chip, splinter, gore, wedge”), Danish spile, Dutch spijl.

Noun

spile (plural spiles)

1. (obsolete or dialectal) A splinter.
2. A spigot or plug used to stop the hole in a barrel or cask.
   • [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:

     So I felt my way down the passage back to the vault, and recked not of the darkness, nor of Blackbeard and his crew, if only I could lay my lips to liquor. Thus I groped about the barrels till near the top of the stack my hand struck on the spile of a keg, and drawing it, I got my mouth to the hold.

3. (US) A spout inserted in a maple (or other tree) to draw off sap.
   • 2023, Ray Mears, chapter 2, in British Woodland, Ebury Spotlight, →ISBN:

     Now, chamfering one end of the elderberry tube slightly to fit, I push it into the hole and wait. After a few seconds sap will begin to drip from the end of the tube, a tangible flow of life and vitality. […] Beneath the tube, properly called a spile, I place my cup to catch the drips.

Verb

spile (third-person singular simple present spiles, present participle spiling, simple past and past participle spiled)

1. To plug (a hole) with a spile.
2. To draw off (a liquid) using a spile.
3. To provide (a barrel, tree etc.) with a spile.

Etymology 2

Alteration of pile, after Etymology 1, above.

Noun

spile (plural spiles)

1. A pile; a post or girder.
   • 1873, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Palmetto-Leaves:

     The bottom of the river is of hard, sparkling white sand, into which spiles are easily driven; and the building and keeping up of such a wharf is a trifling trouble...

   • 1975, Catherine Aird, Slight Mourning‎^[1]:

     […] we'd settled that I’d pick up some spiles from Greg Fitch first thing on Monday morning and get something done about that fence.

Verb

spile (third-person singular simple present spiles, present participle spiling, simple past and past participle spiled)

1. (transitive) To support by means of spiles.
2. (transitive) To drive piles into.

Etymology 3

Alteration of spoil.

Verb

spile (third-person singular simple present spiles, present participle spiling, simple past and past participle spiled)

1. (US, dialect, transitive, intransitive) spoil.

Anagrams

• Elpis, Lipes, Peils, Piels, Piles, Siple, piles, plies, pliés, slipe, spiel

Danish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

spile (imperative spil, infinitive at spile, present tense spiler, past tense spilede, perfect tense har spilet)

1. To dilate.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• spil, spyl

Etymology

From spilen. Alternatively from an Old English *spil, from Proto-West Germanic *spil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spiːl/, /spil/

Noun

spile

1. (rare) amusement, entertainment, celebration

References

• “spī̆le, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-20.