˜yÐÄvlog

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spike

1

[ spahyk ]

noun

  1. a naillike fastener, 3 to 12 inches (7.6 to 30.5 centimeters) 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. Botany. a flower stalk.
  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.


verb (used with object)

spiked, spiking.
  1. to fasten or secure with a spike or spikes.
  2. to provide or set with a spike or spikes.
  3. to pierce with or impale on a spike.
  4. to set or stud with something suggesting spikes.
  5. to injure (another player or a competitor) with the spikes of one's shoe, as in baseball.
  6. 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.
  7. Football. to slam (the ball) to the ground in the end zone, after scoring a touchdown.
  8. to render (a muzzle-loading gun) useless by driving a spike into the touchhole.
  9. to make ineffective; frustrate or thwart:

    to spike a rumor; to spike someone's chances for promotion.

  10. Informal.
    1. to add alcoholic liquor to (a drink).
    2. to add (a chemical, poison, or other substance) to:

      The cocoa was spiked with cyanide.

  11. Journalism Slang. to refuse (a story) by or as if by placing on a spindle.

verb (used without object)

spiked, spiking.
  1. to rise or increase sharply (often followed by up ):

    Interest rates spiked up last week.

spike

2

[ spahyk ]

noun

  1. an ear, as of wheat or other grain.
  2. Botany. an inflorescence in which the flowers are without a stalk, or apparently so, along an elongated, unbranched axis.

spike

1

/ ²õ±è²¹Éª°ì /

noun

  1. a sharp point
  2. any sharp-pointed object, esp one made of metal
  3. a long metal nail
  4. physics
    1. a transient variation in voltage or current in an electric circuit
    2. a graphical recording of this, such as one of the peaks on an electroencephalogram
  5. plural shoes with metal projections on the sole and heel for greater traction, as used by athletes
  6. the straight unbranched antler of a young deer
  7. slang.
    another word for dosshouse
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to secure or supply with or as with spikes
  2. to render ineffective or block the intentions of; thwart
  3. to impale on a spike
  4. to add alcohol to (a drink)
  5. journalism to reject (a news story)
  6. volleyball to hit (a ball) sharply downwards with an overarm motion from the front of one's own court into the opposing court
  7. (formerly) to render (a cannon) ineffective by blocking its vent with a spike
  8. spike someone's guns
    to thwart someone's purpose
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

spike

2

/ ²õ±è²¹Éª°ì /

noun

  1. an inflorescence consisting of a raceme of sessile flowers, as in the gladiolus and sedges
  2. an ear of wheat, barley, or any other grass that has sessile spikelets
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

spike

/ ²õ±èÄ«°ì /

  1. An elongated indeterminate inflorescence in which the flowers are attached directly to a common stem, rather than borne on individual stalks arising from the stem. The gladiolus produces spikes. The distinctive spikes of grasses such as wheat or barley are known as spikelets.
  2. See illustration at inflorescence
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Other ˜yÐÄvlog Forms

  • ²õ±è¾±°ì±ðl¾±°ì±ð adjective
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of spike1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun spik(e), from Old Norse ²õ±èÄ«°ìr “n²¹¾±±ôâ€; akin to Old Norse ²õ±èÄ«°ì “s±è±ô¾±²Ô³Ù±ð°ù,†Middle Low German ²õ±èÄ«°ìer “n²¹¾±±ôâ€

Origin of spike2

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English spik(e), spika, probably special use of spike 1, influenced by Latin ²õ±èÄ«³¦²¹ “ear of grainâ€
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of spike1

C13 spyk; related to Old English ²õ±èÄ«³¦¾±²Ô²µ nail, Old Norse ²õ±èÄ«°ì splinter, Middle Low German ²õ±èÄ«°ìer spike, Norwegian ²õ±èÄ«°ì spoke ², Latin ²õ±èÄ«³¦²¹ sharp point; see spike ²

Origin of spike2

C14: from Latin ²õ±èÄ«³¦²¹ ear of corn
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Idioms and Phrases

  1. spike someone's guns. gun 1( def 18 ).
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Pea-soup hues leak out of Entice’s microphone, the Oakland Coliseum and yes, that spiked bracelet.

From

Felicity Winkles, who leads the Smartphone Free Childhood movement in the South East, said the group had seen a spike in support since the release of Adolescence on Netflix.

From

And US authorities may need to raise interest rates to combat the inevitable spike in inflation.

From

Doing so would keep retail prices from spiking too much, and prevent breaks in the supply chain.

From

Some are preparing for spikes and drops in business as the global trade war plays out.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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