spike

pronunciation

How to pronounce spike in British English: UK [spaɪk] word uk audio image

How to pronounce spike in American English: US [spaɪk] word us audio image

Noun:

a transient variation in voltage or current
sports equipment consisting of a sharp point on the sole of a shoe worn by athletes
fruiting spike of a cereal plant especially corn
(botany) an indeterminate inflorescence bearing sessile flowers on an unbranched axis
a sharp rise followed by a sharp decline
a sharp-pointed projection along the top of a fence or wall
a long sharp-pointed implement (wood or metal)
any holding device consisting of a long sharp-pointed object
a long metal nail
Verb:

stand in the way of
pierce with a sharp stake or point
secure with spikes
bring forth a spike or spikes
add alcohol beverages
manifest a sharp increase

Word Origin

spike: spike: English has two etymologically distinct words spike, although they are so similar in meaning that they are commonly regarded as one and the same. Spike ‘long sharp piece’ [13] was probably borrowed from Middle Dutch spīker. It has another relative in Swedish spik ‘nail’, and goes back ultimately to prehistoric Germanic *speik-, *spaik- (source also of English spoke).The spick of spick and span [17] is a variant of spike. The expression is an elaboration of an earlier span-new ‘brand-new’, which was borrowed from Old Norse spánnýr ‘as new as a new chip of wood’ (spánn ‘chip’ is related to English spoon, which originally meant ‘chip’). The spick was added in imitation of Dutch spiksplinter nieuw ‘spike-splinter new’. Spike ‘ear of corn, arrangement of flowers on a stalk similar to this’ [14] was borrowed from Latin spīca, a close relative of spīna ‘thorn’ (source of English spine). Spīca is also ultimately responsible for English spigot [14], perhaps via the diminutive spiculum; and it forms the first syllable of spikenard [14], the name of a sort of ancient aromatic ointment or of the plant that probably produced it.=> spick; spigot, spine, spoke

spike (v.): 1620s, "to fasten with spikes," from spike (n.1). Meaning "to rise in a spike" is from 1958. Military sense (1680s) means "to disable guns by driving a large nail into the touch-hole." Figurative use of this sense is from 1823. Meaning "to lace (a drink) with liquor" is from 1889. Journalism sense of "to kill a story before publication" (1908) is from the metal spindle in which old-time editors filed hard copy of stories after they were set in type, or especially when rejected for publication. Related: Spiked; spiking.

spike (n.1): "large nail," mid-14c., perhaps from or related to a Scandinavian word, such as Old Norse spik "splinter," Middle Swedish spijk "nail," from Proto-Germanic *spikaz (cognates: Middle Dutch spicher, Dutch spijker "nail," Old English spicing "large nail," Old English spaca, Old High German speihha "spoke"), from PIE root *spei- "sharp point" (cognates: Latin spica "ear of corn," spina "thorn, prickle, backbone," and perhaps pinna "pin" (see pin (n.)); Greek spilas "rock, cliff;" Lettish spile "wooden fork;" Lithuanian speigliai "thorns," spitna "tongue of a buckle," Old English spitu "spit"). The English word also might be influenced by and partly a borrowing of Latin spica (see spike (n.2)), from the same root. Slang meaning "needle" is from 1923. Meaning "pointed stud in athletic shoes" is from 1832. Electrical sense of "pulse of short duration" is from 1935.

spike (n.2): "ear of grain," c. 1300, from Latin spica "ear of grain," from PIE *spei-ko-, from suffixed form of root *spei- "sharp point" (see spine).

3. However , the researchers estimated that eventually that one extra spike affected millions of neurons in the brain .

4. Eg. looking at a close-up of the temperature spike , we see distinct troughs right next to the spike .

5. It sounds simple but the ability to reveal a spike for such a small amount of money is a bit of a revolution in the study of neurobiology .