spike

1 of 3

noun (1)

plural spikes
1
: a very large nail
2
a
: one of a row of pointed irons placed (as on the top of a wall) to prevent passage
b(1)
: one of several metal projections set in the sole and heel of a shoe to improve traction
(2)
spikes plural : a pair of shoes having spikes attached to the soles or soles and heels
They met when after a round of golf he came into the restaurant at which she worked—still wearing his golf spikes.John Strege
3
: something resembling a spike: such as
a
: a young mackerel not over six inches (15.2 centimeters) long
b
: an unbranched antler of a young deer
c
: spike protein
Without its spikes, the pathogen can't get into human cells.Katherine J. Wu
4
spikes plural : spike heel sense 2
5
: the act or an instance of spiking (as in volleyball)
6
a
: a pointed element in a graph or tracing
b
: an unusually high and sharply defined maximum (as of amplitude in a wave train)
7
8
: a momentary sharp increase and fall in electric potential
9
: an abrupt sharp increase (as in prices or rates)
a spike in unemployment
a spike in the number of infections
spikelike adjective

spike

2 of 3

verb

spiked; spiking

transitive verb

1
: to fasten or furnish with spikes
2
a
: to disable (a muzzle-loading cannon) temporarily by driving a spike into the vent
b
: to suppress or block completely
spiked the rumor
3
a
: to pierce or impale with or on a spike
b
: to reject (a story) for publication or broadcast for editorial reasons
4
a
: to add an alcoholic beverage to (a drink)
spiked the punch
b
: to add a foreign substance to
spike the coffee with tranquilizers
c
: to add something highly reactive (such as a radioactive tracer) to
d
: to add vitality, zest, or spice to : liven
spiked the speech with humor
spike the broth with peppers
5
: to drive (something, such as a volleyball) sharply downward with a hard blow
also : to throw down sharply
spiked the ball in the end zone
6
: to undergo a sudden sharp increase in (temperature or fever)
the patient spiked a fever of 103°

intransitive verb

: to increase sharply
battery sales spiked after the storm
spiker noun

spike

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: an ear of grain
2
: an elongated inflorescence similar to a raceme but having the flowers sessile on the main axis see inflorescence illustration

Examples of spike in a Sentence

Verb Someone spiked the punch at the party. The medication caused his blood pressure to spike. She spiked the ball and scored the winning point. After he scored a touchdown he spiked the ball in the end zone.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
With the world’s attention drawn to the rising death toll and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, refugee camps have become the West Bank front of the Israel-Hamas war, with a spike in militancy accompanying the increasingly destructive raids. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 The state’s influx of law enforcement agents will add to the 1,000 city officers New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) placed in the system in February after police reported a spike in crime on the city’s subway platforms and trains. Ian Duncan, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 On a more positive note, the study indicated a spike in representation for lead actors, directors and writers of color, which each reported the largest shares in each of those categories in the report’s history. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 During the pandemic, the book experienced a spike in popularity, with many fans immediately clocking the similarities between August Moon and One Direction, and Hayes Campbell and Harry Styles. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 According to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, its training program for correctional officers has seen a spike in graduates over the past six months. Sophia Voight, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 Eagle Pass, Texas — The number of migrants crossing the southern border without authorization increased in February after dropping in January, as the Biden administration prepares for a larger spike in migration this spring, two U.S. government officials told CBS News. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 That's the biggest spike on the long list of specific expenses. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 As a baseline, the system alerts users whose water consumption spikes, said Randi Jenkins, Austin Water’s assistant director of customer experience. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
In 2006, referees had been given a similar, but less explicit, edict, and technicals had spiked. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 And several demographic groups more vulnerable to job losses — women, African Americans, teenagers and the disabled — saw unemployment rates spike. Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 When that rash appears, the infected person's fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, per the CDC. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Although job loss spiked during Covid, stimulus checks and forbearance from banks and credit card companies helped many consumers avoid financial trouble. Matt Egan, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Inflation and interest rates spiked — but unemployment did not. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The buyout also spikes considerably, from $3 million under the old deal to $10.2 million now. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Reports of incidents spiked just after 10 a.m. and the services started returning after noon. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 The problem is especially acute in the city’s southeast, where property values are spiking even as wealth levels stagnate. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spike.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, probably from Old Norse spīk splinter & spīkr spike; akin to Middle Dutch spiker spike — more at spoke

Noun (2)

Middle English spik, from Latin spica — more at spine

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1624, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spike was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near spike

Cite this Entry

“Spike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spike. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spike

1 of 3 noun
1
: a very large nail
2
a
: one of the metal objects set in the sole and heel of a shoe (as a baseball shoe) to prevent slipping
b
plural : a pair of shoes having spikes
3
: an unbranched antler of a young deer
4
: the act or an instance of spiking (as in volleyball)
5
: a pointed element (as in a graph)

spike

2 of 3 verb
spiked; spiking
1
: to fasten or furnish with spikes
2
: to pierce or cut with or on a spike
3
: to add alcoholic liquor to a drink
4
: to drive (as a volleyball) sharply downward
5
: to increase sharply
battery sales spiked after the storm

spike

3 of 3 noun
1
: an ear of grain
2
: a long usually rather narrow cluster of flowers in which the blossoms grow close to the central stem
Etymology

Noun

Middle English spike "a large nail"; probably of Scandinavian origin

Noun

Middle English spik "a head of a stalk of grain, ear," from Latin spica (same meaning)

Medical Definition

spike

1 of 2 noun
: a change (as in voltage) involving a sharp increase and fall or a recording of this: as
a
: the pointed element in the wave tracing in an electroencephalogram
b
: a sharp increase in body temperature followed by a rapid fall
a fever with spikes to 103°
c(1)
: the sharp increase and fall in the recorded action potential of a stimulated nerve cell that during the increasing phase corresponds to an inrush of sodium ions to the interior of the cell and during the decreasing phase corresponds to a slowing of the influx of sodium ions and to an increasing efflux of potassium ions to the exterior

spike

2 of 2 transitive verb
spiked; spiking
: to undergo a sudden sharp increase in (temperature or fever) usually up to an indicated level
infected patients spiked fevers as high as 105°F

More from Merriam-Webster on spike

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