Adjacent Words

Impale definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

IMPA'LE, v.t. [L. in and palus, a pole, a stake.]
1. To fix on a stake; to put to death by fixing on an upright sharp stake. [See Empale.]
2. To inclose with stakes, posts or palisades.
3. In heraldry, to join two coats of arms pale-wise.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: pierce with a sharp stake or point; "impale a shrimp on a skewer" [syn: transfix, impale, empale, spike]
2: kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole; "the enemies were impaled and left to die" [syn: impale, stake]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (impaled; impaling) Etymology: Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French empaler, from Medieval Latin impalare, from Latin in- + palus stake — more at pole Date: 1605 1. to join (coats of arms) on a heraldic shield divided vertically by a pale 2. a. to pierce with or as if with something pointed; especially to torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake b. to fix in an inescapable or helpless position • impalement noun • impaler noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (foll. by on, upon, with) transfix or pierce with a sharp instrument. 2 Heraldry combine (two coats of arms) by placing them side by side on one shield separated by a vertical line down the middle. Derivatives: impalement n. Etymology: F empaler or med.L impalare (as IN-(2), palus stake)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Empale Em*pale", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Empaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Empaling.] [OF. empaler to palisade, pierce, F. empaler to punish by empalement; pref. em- (L. in) + OF. & F. pal a pale, stake. See Pale a stake, and cf. Impale.] [Written also impale.] 1. To fence or fortify with stakes; to surround with a line of stakes for defense; to impale. All that dwell near enemies empale villages, to save themselves from surprise. --Sir W. Raleigh. 2. To inclose; to surround. See Impale. 3. To put to death by thrusting a sharpened stake through the body. 4. (Her.) Same as Impale.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impale Im*pale", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Impaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Impaling.] [See 2d Empale.] 1. To pierce with a pale; to put to death by fixing on a sharp stake. See Empale. Then with what life remains, impaled, and left To writhe at leisure round the bloody stake. --Addison. 2. To inclose, as with pales or stakes; to surround. Impale him with your weapons round about. --Shak. Impenetrable, impaled with circling fire. --Milton. 3. (Her.) To join, as two coats of arms on one shield, palewise; hence, to join in honorable mention. Ordered the admission of St. Patrick to the same to be matched and impaled with the blessed Virgin in the honor thereof. --Fuller.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(impales, impaling, impaled) To impale something on a pointed object means to cause the point to go into it or through it. Researchers observed one bird impale a rodent on a cactus... VERB: V n on n, also V n, V n with n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Thrust upon a stake, kill by impaling. 2. Fence, surround with palings, enclose with palisades.

Moby Thesaurus

agonize, auger, bayonet, bite, bloody, bore, broach, claw, convulse, countersink, crucify, dagger, dirk, dismember, draw and quarter, drill, empierce, excruciate, fix, gore, gouge, gouge out, grill, harrow, hole, honeycomb, keelhaul, kill by inches, knife, lacerate, lance, lancinate, macerate, martyr, martyrize, needle, penetrate, perforate, picket, pierce, pink, plunge in, poniard, prick, punch, puncture, punish, rack, ream, ream out, riddle, rip, run through, saber, savage, scarify, skewer, spear, spike, spit, stab, stick, stiletto, sword, tap, tar and feather, torment, torture, transfix, transpierce, trepan, trephine, wring