To pierce or impale something on a sharp point; to run something through with a stake or pointed instrument.
From em- (prefix meaning 'to put in') + pale (stake, from Latin palus). Also spelled 'impale,' with em- being the older Germanic form and im- the Latin form.
This word reveals etymology as a historical record—we can see 'empale' was the older English form, but 'impale' (with the Latin-style im- prefix) gradually took over, showing how Norman French and Latin influenced English word formation.
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