spile

/spail/
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Thân thiện
spile

A cooper taps a wooden spile into the bunghole of a barrel.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A plug or bung for a hole in a cask or barrel: A "spile" is a small peg, typically made of wood, used to stop or control the flow of liquid from a hole in a barrel.
    • A spout or tube inserted into a tree: A "spile" is a small tube or spout driven into a tree, especially a maple or palm, to draw off sap or liquid.
    • A pile or stake driven into the ground: A "spile" is a heavy column, often of wood, driven into the earth to provide foundational support for a structure, similar to a pile.
Usage Examples
  • Noun (Barrel Plug):
    • The cooper inserted a wooden spile into the bunghole to seal the beer barrel.
    • He removed the spile to allow the cider to flow from the cask.
  • Noun (Tree Tap):
    • In early spring, they tap maple trees by driving a spile into the trunk to collect sap for syrup.
    • The spile dripped a steady stream of sweet palm sap into the bucket.
  • Noun (Support Pile):
    • The old pier was supported by dozens of wooden spiles driven deep into the riverbed.
    • Engineers used concrete spiles for the foundation of the bridge abutment.
Advanced Usage
  • "To drive a spile": To insert a spile, either into a tree to tap it or into the ground as a support.
    • The tapper drove a spile into the sugar maple with a single, practiced blow.
  • "Spile hole": The hole made for or closed by a spile.
    • They carefully cleaned the spile hole before inserting a new bung.
Variants and Related Words
  • Spiling (n): The collective spiles or piles used in a structure; also, the action of driving spiles.
    • The spiling for the seawall was completed before the storm season.
  • Bung (n): A closer synonym for the barrel plug meaning of "spile," often a larger stopper.
    • He hammered the bung into the barrel's bunghole.
Synonyms
  • Plug, stopper, bung (for the barrel meaning).
  • Tap, spout (for the tree-tapping meaning).
  • Pile, stake, post, piling (for the structural support meaning).
Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Spile" is primarily a noun. It is rarely used as a verb in modern English, and thus does not commonly form phrasal verbs. The verb form, meaning to fit with a spile or to draw off with a spile, is largely obsolete.)

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms in contemporary English that feature the word "spile.")

spile

A cooper taps a wooden spile into the bunghole of a barrel.

Noun
  1. a plug used to close a hole in a barrel or flask
  2. a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure

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