spile

¹ American  

[spahyl] / spaɪl /

noun

1. a peg or plug of wood, especially one used as a spigot.

2. a spout for conducting sap from the sugar maple.

3. a heavy wooden stake or pile.

4. Mining. forepole.

---

verb (used with object)

spiled, spiling

1. to stop up (a hole) with a spile or peg.

2. to furnish with a spigot or spout, as for drawing off a liquid.

3. to tap by means of a spile.

4. to furnish, strengthen, or support with spiles or piles.

spile ² American  

[spahyl] / spaɪl /

verb (used with or without object)

spiled, spiling

1. spoil.

---

spile British  

/ spaɪl /

noun

1. a heavy timber stake or pile

2. a spout for tapping sap from the sugar maple tree

3. a plug or spigot

---

verb

1. to provide or support with a spile

2. to tap (a tree) with a spile

3. dialect a splinter

Etymology

Origin of spile

1505–15; < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German spile splinter, peg; cognate with German Speil

Example Sentences

He has placed 500 spiles - or taps - on somewhere in the neighborhood of 175 trees.

From Washington Times

They hammered sharp little drippers they called spiles into the holes.

From Literature

Then they drilled holes in the chosen sugar maples and hammered in the taps, or spiles.

From Salon

I strip a tough vine of its leaves, thread it through the hollow center, and tie the spile securely to my belt.

From Literature

English regional words for a small piece of wood under the skin such as "spool", "spile", "speel", "spell", "shiver", "spill" and "splint" are falling out of use in favour of "splinter".

From BBC

Related Words

• nozzle
• valve