impale

/ɪmˈpeɪl/

/ɪmˈpeɪl/

Other forms: impaled; impaling; impales

The verb impale means to pierce an object with a sharp stick. When you're preparing shish kebabs, you impale chunks of marinated vegetables and meat on pointy metal skewers and then cook them on a grill.

Impale comes from the Medieval Latin word impalare, which means "to push onto a stake." Impale can also mean to kill by piercing with a stake or spear. Legend has it that the only way to kill a vampire is to do exactly that: impale him with a wooden stake through the heart — and then stuff his mouth with garlic and chop off his head, too, just to be sure.

Definitions of impale

1. verb

   pierce with a sharp stake or point
   “impale a shrimp on a skewer”

   synonyms: empale, spike, transfix

   types:

   pin

   pierce with a pin

   spear

   pierce with a spear

   skewer, spit

   drive a skewer through

   type of:

   pierce, thrust

   penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument
2. verb

   kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole
   “the enemies were impaled and left to die”

   synonyms: stake

   type of:

   kill

   cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly