Impale
/ɪmˈpeɪl/noun
To pierce or fix on a sharp point; also to enclose or decorate with stakes or palings in heraldry.
Did you know?Impale comes through French from Latin *pālus* meaning “stake” or “post,” the same root behind words for fencing and palisades, turning a simple object into a symbol of punishment and enclosure.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
pālus
“stake, post”
Late Latin
Latin
impalāre
“to stake, to fix on a stake”
Old French
Old French
empaaler / empaler
“to stake, impale”
14th Century
English
impalen
“to fix on a stake; to enclose with stakes”
Modern English
English
impale
“to pierce with a sharp point; to stake”