v.
Pronunciation: im- ' p ā l
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: im · paled ; im · pal · ing
Etymology: Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French empaler, from Medieval Latin impalare, from Latin in- + palus stake ― more at POLE
Date: 1605
1 : to join (coats of arms) on a heraldic shield divided vertically by a pale
2 a : to pierce with or as if with something pointed especially : to torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake b : to fix in an inescapable or helpless position
– im · pale · ment \ -m ə nt \ noun
– im · pal · er \ - ' p ā -l ə r \ noun