impale
to fasten, stick, or fix upon a sharpened stake or the like.
to pierce with a sharpened stake thrust up through the body, as for torture or punishment.
to fix upon, or pierce through with, anything pointed.
to make helpless as if pierced through.
Archaic. to enclose with or as if with pales or stakes; fence in; hem in.
Heraldry.
to marshal (two coats of arms, as the family arms of a husband and wife) on an escutcheon party per pale.
(of a coat of arms) to be combined with (another coat of arms) in this way.
Origin of impale
1- Also empale (for defs. 1-5).
Other words from impale
- im·pal·er, noun
- im·pale·ment, noun
Words Nearby impale
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use impale in a sentence
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.
Counterpoint: Disney’s Girlboss ‘Cruella’ Actually Rules | Kevin Fallon | May 28, 2021 | The Daily BeastDoctors this week published an image of just such an uncommon ocular impaling.
Here’s what happens when a bee stings you directly in your eyeball | Beth Mole | December 4, 2020 | Ars TechnicaThese can be invasive, shift around while exercising and god forbid you do anything where you fall and impale yourself on it.
Mio Alpha Review: A Strapless Continuous Heart Rate Monitor for Your Wrist | Tyler Carroll | January 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut 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.
Space Prison | Tom GodwinThe infuriated bull was fast nearing him, with head lowered, and horns set to crush or impale him.
The Vee-Boers | Mayne Reid"I don't care to listen to your offensive utterances," she said, gazing at him as if to impale him with her glance.
The Substitute Prisoner | Max MarcinDavid took out his penknife and proceeded to impale his cigar upon the blade thereof.
David Harum | Edward Noyes WestcottThe elephants trumpeted shrilly; and while some tried to charge it and impale it on their tusks, others stampeded.
Life in an Indian Outpost | Gordon Casserly
British Dictionary definitions for impale
empale
/ (ɪmˈpeɪl) /
(often foll by on, upon, or with) to pierce with a sharp instrument: they impaled his severed head on a spear
archaic to enclose with pales or fencing; fence in
heraldry to charge (a shield) with two coats of arms placed side by side
Origin of impale
1Derived forms of impale
- impalement or empalement, noun
- impaler or empaler, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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