Hypertext Webster Gateway: "impale"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Empale \Em*pale"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Empaled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Empaling}.] [OF. empaler to palisade, pierce, F. empaler
to punish by empalement; pref. em- (L. in) + OF. & F. pal a
pale, stake. See {Pale} a stake, and cf. {Impale}.] [Written
also {impale}.]
1. To fence or fortify with stakes; to surround with a line
of stakes for defense; to impale.

All that dwell near enemies empale villages, to save
themselves from surprise. --Sir W.
Raleigh.

2. To inclose; to surround. See {Impale}.

3. To put to death by thrusting a sharpened stake through the
body.

4. (Her.) Same as {Impale}.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Impale \Im*pale"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Impaled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Impaling}.] [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.) 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.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

impale
v 1: pierce with a sharp stake or point; "impale a shrimp on a
skewer" [syn: {transfix}, {empale}, {spike}]
2: kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole; "the enemies
were impaled and left to die" [syn: {stake}]

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