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.")

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