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View synonyms for impale

impale

[ im-peyl ]

verb (used with object)

, im·paled, im·pal·ing.
  1. to fasten, stick, or fix upon a sharpened stake or the like.
  2. to pierce with a sharpened stake thrust up through the body, as for torture or punishment.
  3. to fix upon, or pierce through with, anything pointed.
  4. to make helpless as if pierced through.
  5. Archaic. to enclose with or as if with pales or stakes; fence in; hem in.
  6. Heraldry.
    1. to marshal (two coats of arms, as the family arms of a husband and wife) on an escutcheon party per pale.
    2. (of a coat of arms) to be combined with (another coat of arms) in this way.


impale

/ ɪmˈpeɪl /

verb

  1. often foll byon, upon, or with to pierce with a sharp instrument

    they impaled his severed head on a spear

  2. archaic.
    to enclose with pales or fencing; fence in
  3. heraldry to charge (a shield) with two coats of arms placed side by side


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Derived Forms

  • imˈpaler, noun
  • imˈpalement, noun

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Other Words From

  • im·paler noun
  • im·palement noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of impale1

1545–55; < Medieval Latin impālāre, equivalent to Latin im- im- 1 + pāl ( us ) pale 2 + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive ending

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Word History and Origins

Origin of impale1

C16: from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin im- (in) + pālus pale ²

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Example Sentences

Her testimony resulted in the imprisonment of two people for the tree spiking–a dangerous practice where metal spikes are impaled into trees to try and prevent logging.

There is not a moment of Thompson’s screen time she does not render a cool pleasure, each line delivery an icicle falling from a skyscraper to impale an unfortunate target.

Doctors this week published an image of just such an uncommon ocular impaling.

These can be invasive, shift around while exercising and god forbid you do anything where you fall and impale yourself on it.

But higher taxes would impale my paycheck, tomorrow, unless the right people are in office.

When a company lives by the icon, it can, at the very least, impale itself on the icon.

It squealed, shrill with triumph, and the horn swept up to impale him.

The infuriated bull was fast nearing him, with head lowered, and horns set to crush or impale him.

"I don't care to listen to your offensive utterances," she said, gazing at him as if to impale him with her glance.

David took out his penknife and proceeded to impale his cigar upon the blade thereof.

The elephants trumpeted shrilly; and while some tried to charge it and impale it on their tusks, others stampeded.

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impalaimpalpable