spile means A splinter.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, spile ranks #6,994 of 42,762 for Qualifying.
spile is pronounced /spaɪl/.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch or Middle Low German spile (“splinter, peg”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *spīlaz (“splinter, peg”), from Proto-Indo-European *spey- (“prickle, pointed stick”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian spyl, German Speil (“chip, splinter, gore, wedge”), Danish spile, Dutch spijl.
noun
- A splinter.
- A spigot or plug used to stop the hole in a barrel or cask.
- A spout inserted in a maple (or other tree) to draw off sap.
- A pile; a post or girder.e.g.“The bottom of the river is of hard, sparkling white sand, into which spiles are easily driven; and the building and keeping up of such a wharf is a trifling trouble...” — 1873, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Palmetto-Leaves:
verb
- To plug (a hole) with a spile.
- To draw off (a liquid) using a spile.
- To provide (a barrel, tree etc.) with a spile.
- To support by means of spiles.
- To drive piles into.
- spoil.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).