spike

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Jump to: navigation, search
See also Spike

Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Latin spīca "ear of grain"

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
spike

Plural
spikes

spike (plural spikes)

  1. A sort of very large nail; also, a piece of pointed iron set with points upward or outward.
  2. Anything resembling such a nail in shape.
  3. An ear of grain.
  4. (botany) A kind of inflorescence in which sessile flowers are arranged on an unbranched elongated axis.
  5. (in plural spikes; informal) Running shoes with spikes in the soles.
  6. A sharp peak in a graph.
  7. (volleyball) An attack from, usually, above the height of the net performed with the intent to send the ball straight to the floor of the opponent or off the hands of the opposing block.
  8. (zoology) An adolescent male deer.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to spike

Third person singular
spikes

Simple past
spiked

Past participle
spiked

Present participle
spiking

to spike (third-person singular simple present spikes, present participle spiking, simple past and past participle spiked)

  1. To covertly put alcohol or another intoxicating substance in a drink that previously did not contain such substances.
  2. (volleyball) To attack from, usually, above the height of the net with the intent to send the ball straight to the floor of the opponent or off the hands of the opposing block.
  3. (military) To render (a gun) unusable by driving a metal spike into its touch hole.
    He jumped down, wrenched the hammer from the armourer’s hand, and seizing a nail from the bag, in a few moments he had spiked the gun.Frederick Marryat, "Peter Simple", 1834
  4. (journalism) To decide not to publish or make public.
    • October 14, 2002, Jonathan Sale, The Guardian, Edward VIII news blackout.
      Instead, the "Beaver" declared he would spike the story about Wallis Simpson and make sure his fellow media moguls sat on it too.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Translations

Personal tools