spike
noun
a naillike fastener, 3 to 12 inches (7.6 to 30.5 centimeters) long and proportionately thicker than a common nail, for fastening together heavy timbers or railroad track.
spiked
-
past participleof spike.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof spike.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
spikenouna naillike fastener, 3 to 12 inches (7.6 to 30.5 centimeters) long and proportionately thicker than a common nail, for fastening together heavy timbers or railroad track.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
OTTAWA—Canadian inflation accelerated last month as prices at the pump again spiked higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
There were also gains in Tokyo, where tech giants Kioxia, Advantest and Sony spiked and sector investment titan SoftBank surged four percent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Sea, sand, spiked skyline, and mountains meet in one widescreen.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
She told me that mosquito populations spiked in areas with more human-made mosquito habitat, such as abandoned buildings, unkempt vacant lots, and piles of discarded bulky items.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
According to the main computer, during the blast, the internal pressure spiked to 1.4 atmospheres, and the temperature rose to 15°C in under a second.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
