verb
impale
im-PAYL/ɪmˈpeɪl/
To pierce through with a sharp object.
The wooden skewer impales the strawberry from one side to the other.
Etymology
The pieces evoke pushing something onto a stake. That concrete image connects the historical sense of piercing with a pointed stake to piercing through with a sharp object.
In context
they often use tools such as barbed wire or sticks to impale their prey upon this helps to kill the prey quickly and with less fight
More examples
- He accidentally impaled the paper on the sharp wire.
- The display showed prey impaled on a branch by a bird.
- A metal spike had impaled the fallen leaf.
Forms
impale · impales · impaled · impaling
Similar words
- pierce
- Pierce makes an opening; impale passes a pointed object through something.
- skewer
- Skewer pierces with a thin rod, often food; impale applies more broadly and can imply greater force.