/ ɪmˈpeɪl; NAmE / verb [ vn ]
1.
to push a sharp pointed object through sth
SYN spear :
She impaled a lump of meat on her fork.
2.
if you impale yourself on sth, or are impaled on it, you have a sharp pointed object pushed into you and you may be caught somewhere by it :
He had fallen and been impaled on some iron railings.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in the sense enclose with stakes or pales ): from French empaler or medieval Latin impalare , from Latin in- in + palus a stake.