IMPALE

transfix, impale, empale, spike

(verb) pierce with a sharp stake or point; “impale a shrimp on a skewer”

impale, stake

(verb) kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole; “the enemies were impaled and left to die”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

impale (third-person singular simple present impales, present participle impaling, simple past and past participle impaled)

(transitive) To pierce (something) with any long, pointed object.

(transitive, heraldry) To place two coats of arms side by side on the same shield (often those of two spouses upon marriage).

(ambitransitive) To pierce with a pale; to put to death by fixing on a sharp stake.

(ambitransitive) To enclose or fence with stakes.

Synonyms

• (pierce something with any long, pointed object): fix, stake, stick, run through, transfix

• (enclose or fence with stakes): pale, palisade, picket

Source: Wiktionary

Im*pale", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Impaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Impaling.] Etym: [See 2d Empale.]

1. To pierce with a pale; to put to death by fixing on a sharp stake. See Empale. Then with what life remains, impaled, and left To writhe at leisure round the bloody stake. Addison.

2. To inclose, as with pales or stakes; to surround. Impale him with your weapons round about. Shak. Impenetrable, impaled with circling fire. Milton.

3. (Her.)

Definition: To join, as two coats of arms on one shield, palewise; hence, to join in honorable mention. Ordered the admission of St. Patrick to the same to be matched and impaled with the blessed Virgin in the honor thereof. Fuller.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition