spike

spike
spike1
—spikelike, adj.
/spuyk/, n., v., spiked, spiking.
n.
1. a naillike fastener, 3 to 12 in. (7.6 to 30.5 cm) long and proportionately thicker than a common nail, for fastening together heavy timbers or railroad track.
2. something resembling such a nail; a stiff, sharp-pointed piece or part: to set spikes in the top of a cement wall.
3. a sharp-pointed piece of metal set with the point outward, as on a weapon.
4. an abrupt increase or rise: a chart showing a spike of unusual activity in the stock market; a sudden spike of electrical current.
5. a rectangular or naillike metal projection on the heel and sole of a shoe for improving traction, as of a baseball player or a runner.
6. spikes, a pair of shoes having such projections.
7. the unbranched antler of a young deer.
8. Bot. a flower stalk. See illus. under inflorescence.
9. a pointed portion of a continuous curve or graph, usually rising above the adjacent portion: a spike in the value of the voltage.
10. Volleyball. a hard smash, hit close to the net, almost straight down into the opponent's court.
11. Slang. a hypodermic needle.
v.t.
12. to fasten or secure with a spike or spikes.
13. to provide or set with a spike or spikes.
14. to pierce with or impale on a spike.
15. to set or stud with something suggesting spikes.
16. to injure (another player or a competitor) with the spikes of one's shoe, as in baseball.
17. Volleyball. to hit (a ball in the air) with a powerful, overarm motion from a position close to the net so as to cause it to travel almost straight down into the court of the opponents.
18. Football. to slam (the ball) to the ground in the end zone, after scoring a touchdown.
19. to render (a muzzle-loading gun) useless by driving a spike into the touchhole.
20. to make ineffective; frustrate or thwart: to spike a rumor; to spike someone's chances for promotion.
21. Informal.
a. to add alcoholic liquor to (a drink).
b. to add (a chemical, poison, or other substance) to: The cocoa was spiked with cyanide.
22. Journalism Slang. to refuse (a story) by or as if by placing on a spindle.
v.i.
23. to rise or increase sharply (often fol. by up): Interest rates spiked up last week.
24. spike someone's guns. See gun1 (def. 10).
[1300-50; ME spik(e) (n.) < ON spikr nail; akin to ON spik, MLG spiker nail]
spike2
/spuyk/, n.
1. an ear, as of wheat or other grain.
2. Bot. an inflorescence in which the flowers are without a stalk, or apparently so, along an elongated, unbranched axis. See illus. under inflorescence.
[1350-1400; ME; prob. special use of SPIKE1, influenced by L spica ear of grain]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
(of grain), /


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Spike — Spike(s) may refer to:Device to puncture or fasten* Nail (fastener), especially one over four inches long * Rail spike, used to construct railroad tracks * Tree spiking, making a tree dangerous to cut with a chainsaw * Spike strip, tire deflation …   Wikipedia

  • Spike — (homonymie) Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Spike est un prénom américain. En anglais, spike signifie pique, aiguille, baïonnette ou peut désigner un outil destiné à piquer. En anglais,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Spike — (engl. ‚Spitze‘) steht für: Spikes (Reifen), Stifte im Profil von Reifen Schuhspikes, Gleitschutz für das Gehen auf glattem Untergrund Spikes (Leichtathletik), in der Leichtathletik Schuhe mit an der Sohle angebrachten Dornen Spike (HiFi), ein… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Spike TV — (a veces Spike solo) es un canal de televisión estadounidense diseñado para el publico masculino. Spike TV es propiedad de MTV Networks, que es una subsidiaria de Viacom Inc. Historia El canal comenzó como The Nashville Networks (TNN) fundado por …   Wikipedia Español

  • Spike CO — Spike (entreprise) Pour les articles homonymes, voir Spike (homonymie). Logo de Spike Siège social …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Spike — [ʃpai̮k], der; s, s: 1. 1Stift (1) an den Schuhsohlen von Läufern oder an Autoreifen, der das [Aus]gleiten verhindert: Schuhe, Autoreifen mit Spikes. 2. <Plural> Laufschuhe, an deren Sohlen sich Spikes (1) befinden: ein Paar Spikes; mit… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • spike — spike1 [spīk] n. [ME < ON spīkr, a nail, spike, or < MDu & MLowG spīker, both ult. < IE base * (s)p(h)ei , sharp, pointed splinter > SPIT1, SPOKE1, L spica, ear of grain, spina,SPINE] 1. a long, heavy nail 2. a sh …   English World dictionary

  • Spike — Spike, n. [Akin to LG. spiker, spieker, a large nail, D. spijker, Sw. spik, Dan. spiger, Icel. sp[=i]k; 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}.] 1. A sort… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spike — spike; spike·let; spike·man; spike·nard; un·spike; hand·spike; …   English syllables

  • Spike — Spike, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spiked}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Spiking}.] 1. To fasten with spikes, or long, large nails; as, to spike down planks. [1913 Webster] 2. To set or furnish with spikes. [1913 Webster] 3. To fix on a spike. [R.] Young. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Spike — Spike, n. [Cf. G. spieke, L. spica an ear of grain. See {Spikenard}.] (Bot.) 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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