spike

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

spike, n. [Akin to LG. spiker, spieker, a large nail, D. spijker, Sw. spik, Dan. spiger, Icel. spīk; all perhaps from L. spica a point, an ear of grain; but in the sense of nail more likely akin to E. spoke of a wheel. Cf. Spine.].

•  A sort of very large nail; also, a piece of pointed iron set with points upward or outward.  [1913 Webster]
•  Anything resembling such a nail in shape.  [1913 Webster]

  "He wears on his head the corona radiata . . . ; the spikes that shoot out represent the rays of the sun."  [1913 Webster]
•  An ear of corn or grain.  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of flower cluster in which sessile flowers are arranged on an unbranched elongated axis.  [1913 Webster]

Spike grass (Bot.), either of two tall perennial American grasses (Uniola paniculata, and U. latifolia) having broad leaves and large flattened spikelets. -- Spike rush. (Bot.) See under Rush. -- Spike shell (Zoöl.), any pteropod of the genus Styliola having a slender conical shell. -- Spike team, three horses, or a horse and a yoke of oxen, harnessed together, a horse leading the oxen or the span. [U.S.]

spike, v. t. 

•  To fasten with spikes, or long, large nails; as, to spike down planks.  [1913 Webster]
•  To set or furnish with spikes.  [1913 Webster]
•  To fix on a spike.  Young.  [1913 Webster]
•  To stop the vent of (a gun or cannon) by driving a spike nail, or the like into it.  [1913 Webster]

spike, n. [Cf. G. spieke, L. spica an ear of grain. See Spikenard.].

 Spike lavender. See Lavender.  [1913 Webster]

Oil of spike (Chem.), a colorless or yellowish aromatic oil extracted from the European broad-leaved lavender, or aspic (Lavendula Spica), used in artist's varnish and in veterinary medicine. It is often adulterated with oil of turpentine, which it much resembles.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

spike, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a sharp point. b a pointed piece of metal, esp. the top of an iron railing etc.
2 a any of several metal points set into the sole of a running-shoe to prevent slipping. b (in pl.) a pair of running-shoes with spikes.
3 a a pointed metal rod standing on a base and used for filing news items etc. esp. when rejected for publication. b a similar spike used for bills etc.
4 a large stout nail esp. as used for railways.
5 sl. a hypodermic needle.
6 Brit. sl. a doss-house.
7 Electronics a pulse of very short duration in which a rapid increase in voltage is followed by a rapid decrease.
--v.tr.
1 a fasten or provide with spikes. b fix on or pierce with spikes.
2 (of a newspaper editor etc.) reject (a story) by filing it on a spike.
3 colloq. a lace (a drink) with alcohol, a drug, etc. b contaminate (a substance) with something added.
4 make useless, put an end to, thwart (an idea etc.).
5 hist. plug up the vent of (a gun) with a spike.

Idiom

spike a person's guns spoil his or her plans. spike heel a high tapering heel of a shoe.

spike, n. Bot.
1 a flower-cluster formed of many flower-heads attached closely on a long stem.
2 a separate sprig of any plant in which flowers form a spikelike cluster.

Derivative

spikelet n.

Etymology

ME, = ear of corn, f. L SPICA

THESAURUS

spike

adulterate, ament, annul, auger, auricle, baffle, balk, bastardize, bayonet, bite, blast, block, bore, bramble, brave, brier, bristle, broach, bugger, bung, burr, cactus, cancel, capitulum, catchweed, catkin, challenge, check, check valve, checkmate, circumvent, cleavers, cob, cock, cone, confound, confront, contaminate, contravene, cork, corncob, corrupt, corymb, counter, counteract, countermand, countersink, counterwork, cripple, cross, cut, cyme, dagger, dash, de-energize, debase, debilitate, defeat, defy, denaturalize, denature, destroy, dilute, dirk, disable, disarm, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, disenable, dish, disrupt, doctor, doctor up, drain, drill, drug, ear, ear of corn, elude, empierce, enfeeble, equipage, faucet, fix, flummox, foil, fortify, four-in-hand, frustrate, goose grass, gore, gouge, gouge out, hamstring, head, hole, honeycomb, hors de combat, impale, inactivate, incapacitate, kibosh, knife, knock the chocks, lace, lame, lance, lid, maim, mealie, nail, needle, nettle, nonplus, nullify, pair, panicle, peg, penetrate, perforate, perplex, picket, pierce, pike, pin, pine cone, pine needle, pink, plug, plunge in, poison, pollute, poniard, prick, prickle, prong, punch, puncture, put, queer, queer the works, quill, raceme, randem, ream, ream out, riddle, rig, ruin, run through, saber, sabotage, scotch, sea cock, skewer, spadix, span, spear, spicule, spiculum, spigot, spike team, spikelet, spile, spill, spine, spit, spoil, stab, stake, stick, sticker, stiletto, stonewall, stop, stopgap, stopper, stopple, strengthen, strobile, stump, sword, tamper with, tandem, tap, team, thistle, thorn, three-up, thwart, thyrse, transfix, transpierce, treenail, trepan, trephine, turnout, umbel, unfit, unicorn, upset, valve, verticillaster, void, water, water down, weaken, wing, wreck, yucca

ROGET THESAURUS

spike

Sharpness

N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.

Opening

VB open, ope, gape, yawn, bilge, fly open, perforate, pierce, empierce, tap, bore, drill, mine, tunnel, transpierce, transfix, enfilade, impale, spike, spear, gore, spit, stab, pink, puncture, lance, stick, prick, riddle, punch, stave in, cut a passage through, make way for, make room for, uncover, unclose, unrip, lay open, cut open, rip open, throw open, pop open, blow open, pry open, tear open, pull open.

Stopper

N stopper, stopple, plug, cork, bung, spike, spill, stopcock, tap, rammer, ram, ramrod, piston, stop-gap, wadding, stuffing, padding, stopping, dossil, pledget, tompion, tourniquet, cover, valve, vent peg, spigot, slide valve, janitor, doorkeeper, porter, warder, beadle, cerberus, ostiary.