Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: French
Origin: empaler, from Medieval Latin impalare, from Latin palus 'pointed stick'

impale

 verb
     
im‧pale [transitive often passive]
if someone or something is impaled, a sharp pointed object goes through them
be impaled on something
Their heads were impaled on Charles Bridge as a warning to others.
—impalement noun [uncountable and countable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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