impale

English

Alternative forms

• empale (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French, from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin palus, whence also pale.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpeɪl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪl

Verb

impale (third-person singular simple present impales, present participle impaling, simple past and past participle impaled)

1. (transitive) To pierce (something) with any long, pointed object.
2. (transitive, heraldry) To place two coats of arms side by side on the same shield (often those of two spouses upon marriage).
3. (ambitransitive) To pierce with a pale; to put to death by fixing on a sharp stake.
4. (ambitransitive) To enclose or fence with stakes.
   • 1624, John Smith, “The Present Estate of Nevv-Plimoth”, in Iohn Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Michael Sparkes, →OCLC, book 6; republished as The Generall Historie of Virginia, [...], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Edward Blackmore, 1632, →OCLC, page 247:

     [T]he Tovvne is impailed about halfe a mile compaſſe.

Synonyms

• (pierce something with any long, pointed object): fix, stake, stick, run through, transfix
• (enclose or fence with stakes): pale, palisade, picket

Derived terms

• impalation
• impalement
• impaler
• unimpale

Translations

put to death by piercing with a pale

Armenian: please add this translation if you can Bulgarian: набивам на кол (nabivam na kol) Danish: spidde Dutch: spietsen (nl) Finnish: seivästää (fi) French: empaler (fr) German: pfählen (de), erstechen (de) Greek: ανασκολοπίζω (el) (anaskolopízo) Hungarian: karóba húz Icelandic: stjaksetja, stinga á tein, setja á nál Italian: impalare (it) Macedonian: набива (nabiva), набодува (naboduva) Polish: wbijać na pal impf, wbić na pal pf, nadziewać na pal impf, nadziać na pal pf, nabijać na pal impf, nabić na pal pf Portuguese: empalar (pt) Russian: сажа́ть на́ кол impf (sažátʹ ná kol), посади́ть на́ кол (ru) pf (posadítʹ ná kol) Serbo-Croatian: nabiti na kolac Spanish: empalar (es)

pierce something with any long, pointed object

Bulgarian: пробождам (bg) (proboždam), пронизвам (bg) (pronizvam), пробода (proboda), пронижа (bg) (proniža), нанижа (naniža), нанизвам (bg) (nanizvam) Danish: spidde Dutch: doorboren (nl) Finnish: keihästää (fi), seivästää (fi) French: empaler (fr) German: aufspießen (de) Greek: καρφώνω (el) (karfóno) Icelandic: reka í gegn Macedonian: набодува (naboduva) Maori: kōhiku Old Norse: leggja Russian: протыка́ть (ru) impf (protykátʹ), проткну́ть (ru) pf (protknútʹ), пронза́ть (ru) impf (pronzátʹ), пронзи́ть (ru) pf (pronzítʹ), прока́лывать (ru) impf (prokályvatʹ), проколо́ть (ru) pf (prokolótʹ) Serbo-Croatian: nabosti (sh), probosti (sh) Spanish: empalar (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Georgian: (please verify) განგმირვა (gangmirva)