Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense impales, present participle impaling, past tense, past participle impaled
verb
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 noun + on]
Lenny swayed for a moment, then dropped to the ground, impaling himself on his switchblade. [VERB noun on noun]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: pierce, stick, run through, spike More Synonyms of impale
impale in British English
or empale (ɪmˈpeɪl)
verb(transitive)
1. (often foll byon, upon, or with)
to pierce with a sharp instrument
they impaled the animal's 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
Derived forms
impalement (imˈpalement) or empalement (emˈpalement)
noun
impaler (imˈpaler) or empaler (emˈpaler)
noun
Word origin
C16: from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin im- (in) + pāluspale2
impale in American English
(ɪmˈpeɪl)
verb transitiveWord forms: imˈpaled or imˈpaling
1. Rare
to surround with or as with a palisade
2.
a.
to pierce through with, or fix on, something pointed; transfix
b.
to punish or torture by fixing on a stake
3.
to make helpless, as if fixed on a stake
impaled by her glance
4. Heraldry
to join (two coats of arms) side by side on one shield
Derived forms
impalement (imˈpalement)
noun
Word origin
Fr empaler < ML impalare < L in-, on + palus, a stake, pole1
Examples of 'impale' in a sentence
impale
The aim is to grab hold of a rosette attached to the bull's head without being impaled.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This particular story involves disappearing houses, old men crawling through the undergrowth, beautiful women impaled on railings and deception on a grand scale.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
(verb)
Definition
to pierce through or fix with a sharp object
I had to go to hospital after impaling my foot on a railing spike.
Synonyms
pierce
Pierce the skin of the potato with a fork.
stick
They stuck a needle in my back.
The knife stuck in his chest.
run through
spike
My foot kept getting spiked by the runners in front.
lance
spear
Spearing fish was a traditional way to hunt.
skewer
Splinters from that impact had skewered his right calf.
spit
transfix
Additional synonyms
in the sense of skewer
Definition
to fasten or pierce with or as if with a skewer
Splinters from that impact had skewered his right calf.
Synonyms
pierce,
gore,
impale,
spike,
spear,
bayonet
in the sense of spear
Definition
a weapon consisting of a long pole with a sharp point
Spearing fish was a traditional way to hunt.
Synonyms
gore,
pierce,
lance,
bayonet,
impale
in the sense of spike
Definition
to drive a spike or spikes into
My foot kept getting spiked by the runners in front.