impale en
en
Change language
Translating...
/ɪmˈpeɪl/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
Piercing or fixing on a point, with older senses of staking off land and the heraldic joining of coats of arms, plus a figurative image of being pinned helplessly.
Examples The company found itself impaled on a costly legal dispute.
The estate was impaled with a line of pales.
The guard rail impaled the front of the car.
The fort was impaled along the riverbank.
The falling icicle could impale someone below.
Similar words stockade
pale
combine
fix
fence
display
catch
trap
surround
pierce
Meanings Examples The dead deer was impaled on a spear.
She impaled olives on toothpicks before serving them.
The falling icicle could impale someone below.
The guard rail impaled the front of the car.
The lab technician impaled the cell with a microelectrode.
He carefully impaled the vegetables on the skewer.
Similar words pierce
skewer
stab
transfix
spike
puncture
spear gore Examples The minister was impaled on his own campaign promise.
The company found itself impaled on a costly legal dispute.
Her argument was impaled by one stubborn contradiction.
He felt impaled by the choice between loyalty and honesty.
The budget impaled the project before work began.
The witness was impaled on the details of his earlier statement.
Similar words trap
pin
corner
snare
entangle
fix
catch
strand
Examples The settlers impaled the town with wooden stakes.
A palisade impaled the camp against sudden attack.
The old charter says the meadow was impaled and guarded.
The estate was impaled with a line of pales.
They impaled the pasture before bringing in the cattle.
The fort was impaled along the riverbank.
Similar words fence
enclose
palisade
stockade
pale
picket
surround
fortify
Examples The shield impales the husband's arms with the wife's arms.
A bishop may impale his family arms with those of his diocese.
The carved stone shows two coats of arms impaled on one shield.
The college impales its founder's arms with the see's arms.
Heralds impaled the two armorial bearings per pale.
The monument displays the couple's arms impaled together.
Similar words marshal
combine
join
display
quarter
arrange
blazon
emblazon
Etymology From Middle French empaler and Medieval Latin impalare , formed from Latin in- meaning in or into and palus meaning stake.
FAQ Impale usually means to pierce or fix something on a sharp pointed object.
Can impale be used figuratively?
Yes. It can describe being pinned, trapped, or made helpless by a problem, promise, or dilemma.
What is the heraldic meaning of impale ?
In heraldry, impale means to display two coats of arms side by side on one vertically divided shield.
Does impale ever mean fence in?
Yes. In archaic use, impale can mean to enclose a place with pales or stakes.
What is the past tense of impale ?
The past tense and past participle are impaled .
Comments & contributions Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.