Meanings
verbimpale (third-person singular simple present impales, present participle impaling, simple past and past participle impaled)
present singular third person impales · participle present impaling · participle past impaled · past impaled · alternative empale
- transitivegovernmentTo place two coats of arms side by side on the same shield (often those of two spouses upon marriage).
- ambitransitiveTo enclose or fence with stakes.
[T]he Tovvne is impailed about halfe a mile compaſſe.
1624, John Smith, “The Present Estate of Nevv-Plimoth”, in Iohn [i.e., John] Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Edward Blackmore, published 1632, →OCLC, 6th booke, page 247
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo pierce (something) with any long, pointed object.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpalus
- Medieval Latinimpālāre
- Englishimpale
From Middle French, from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin palus, whence also pale.
More words from Medieval Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian пробождам, пронизвам
- пробождам (proboždam)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- пронизвам (pronizvam)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- пробода (proboda)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- пронижа (proniža)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- нанижа (naniža)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- нанизвам (nanizvam)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- набивам на кол (nabivam na kol)put to death by piercing with a pale
Catalan empalar
- empalarput to death by piercing with a pale
Danish spidde, spidde
- spiddepierce something with any long, pointed object
- spiddeput to death by piercing with a pale
Dutch doorboren, spietsen
- doorborenpierce something with any long, pointed object
- spietsenput to death by piercing with a pale
Finnish keihästää, seivästää
- keihästääpierce something with any long, pointed object
- seivästääpierce something with any long, pointed object
- seivästääput to death by piercing with a pale
French empaler, empaler
- empalerpierce something with any long, pointed object
- empalerput to death by piercing with a pale
German aufspießen, pfählen
- aufspießenpierce something with any long, pointed object
- pfählenput to death by piercing with a pale
- erstechenput to death by piercing with a pale
Greek καρφώνω, ανασκολοπίζω
- καρφώνω (karfóno)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- ανασκολοπίζω (anaskolopízo)put to death by piercing with a pale
Hungarian karóba húz
- karóba húzput to death by piercing with a pale
Icelandic reka í gegn, stjaksetja
- reka í gegnpierce something with any long, pointed object
- stjaksetjaput to death by piercing with a pale
- stinga á teinput to death by piercing with a pale
- setja á nálput to death by piercing with a pale
Italian impalare
- impalareput to death by piercing with a pale
Māori kōhiku
- kōhikupierce something with any long, pointed object
Polish wbijać na pal, wbić na pal
- wbijać na palput to death by piercing with a pale
- wbić na palput to death by piercing with a pale
- nadziewać na palput to death by piercing with a pale
- nadziać na palput to death by piercing with a pale
- nabijać na palput to death by piercing with a pale
- nabić na palput to death by piercing with a pale
Portuguese empalar
- empalarput to death by piercing with a pale
Russian протыка́ть, проткну́ть
- протыка́ть (protykátʹ)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- проткну́ть (protknútʹ)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- пронза́ть (pronzátʹ)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- пронзи́ть (pronzítʹ)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- прока́лывать (prokályvatʹ)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- проколо́ть (prokolótʹ)pierce something with any long, pointed object
- сажа́ть на́ кол (sažátʹ ná kol)put to death by piercing with a pale
- посади́ть на́ кол (posadítʹ ná kol)put to death by piercing with a pale
Spanish empalar, ensartar
- empalarpierce something with any long, pointed object
- ensartarpierce something with any long, pointed object
- atravesarpierce something with any long, pointed object
- empalarput to death by piercing with a pale
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with impale
emailmailretailscaledetailfailtrailthumbnailtailtaledalejailyalepalegalesailavailbailvalealeGailhalehailvail
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
impale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impale
MLA
“impale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impale. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “impale,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impale.
Source: impale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.