spile
1 Americannoun
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a peg or plug of wood, especially one used as a spigot.
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a spout for conducting sap from the sugar maple.
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a heavy wooden stake or pile.
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Mining. forepole.
verb (used with object)
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to stop up (a hole) with a spile or peg.
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to furnish with a spigot or spout, as for drawing off a liquid.
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to tap by means of a spile.
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to furnish, strengthen, or support with spiles or piles.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a heavy timber stake or pile
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a spout for tapping sap from the sugar maple tree
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a plug or spigot
verb
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to provide or support with a spile
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to tap (a tree) with a spile
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dialect a splinter
Etymology
Origin of spile
1505–15; < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German spile splinter, peg; cognate with German Speil
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.
See Examples For:
Rhys: I don’t do much with Instagram but my algorithm is generally older men showing you how to kind of spile a garboard plank next to a keel, things like that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
A silver parachute that holds a spile for tapping trees, and the pearl Peeta gave me a few hours before I blew out the force field.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
My fingers fumble at my belt and find the spile still hanging from its vine.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Fortunately the vines here are strong and the spile and tube of medicine wrapped in the parachute are still secured to my belt.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
She opens the silver parachute and pulls out the spile and slips it onto her pinkie.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Many tech stocks were having a rough start after Broadcom’s fiscal second-quarter report sparked a 15.5% decline in the stock—and spiled across the sector.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
Well, see here: argyment’s my weakness, in a manner of speaking; I wouldn’t a-borne down and spiled sport not for gold untold, no, not for rum, I wouldn’t!
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XV by Robert Louis Stevenson
Well, the butter and the honey may be spiled," said Si, "but the other things are all right.
From Si Klegg, Book 2 (of 6) Thru The Stone River Campaign And In Winter Quarters At Murfreesboro by John McElroy
And she vowed it was spiled, while Jack looked jest as though he could scrumplicate me.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 93. July 30, 1887 by
But Caswell was an old Crimea veteran; his face had been spiled by a powder explosion; but he certainly was a sporter!
From Two on the Trail A Story of the Far Northwest by William Sherman Potts
The ship passed between the long rows of spiling with nice judgment.
From The Best Short Stories of 1919 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story by Edward J. (Edward Joseph Harrington) O'Brien
Then the spiling gave way under the strain that for several minutes had been put upon it, and the dam went out with a crash and a roar, accompanied by a series of terrifying explosions.
From Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Great North Woods by Jessie Graham [pseud.] Flower
"Faix—we wouldn't be afther spiling your honer's divarsion, my lord, on no account," said another.
From The Kellys and the O'Kellys by Anthony Trollope
Here his feet were close to the water, but he supported himself on a cross rail nailed from one section of the spiling to another.
From Young Hunters of the Lake by Ralph Bonehill
Down below two dark forms, covered with mud and flour paste, could be seen clutching at the slippery braces of the spiling.
From Young Hunters of the Lake by Ralph Bonehill
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