spile

/spaɪl/
noun
  1. A small wooden peg or plug used to stop the hole in a barrel or cask.
    • The old wooden spile was replaced with a plastic one.
    • He pulled the spile from the keg to let the beer flow.
    • The brewer hammered a spile into the barrel to seal it.
  2. A small tube or spout inserted into a tree to collect sap.
    • Each spile can collect several gallons of sap in a season.
    • The farmer checked the spiles early in the morning.
    • They drove a spile into the maple tree to gather sap for syrup.
  3. A stake or pile driven into the ground as a support.
    • They used steel spiles to stabilize the foundation.
    • The fence was held up by wooden spiles set in concrete.
    • The workers drove spiles into the marsh to build the boardwalk.
Synonyms
verb
  1. To plug or close with a spile.
    • The cooper spiled the barrel to prevent leakage.
    • They spiled the keg before transporting it.
    • She learned how to spile a cask during her apprenticeship.
  2. To insert a spile into a tree for tapping sap.
    • Every spring, the farmers spile the maple trees.
    • He spiled the birch tree to collect the watery sap.
    • They spiled over a hundred trees in the sugar bush.
What does "spile" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean