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
John Strege
c
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
Katherine J. Wu4
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
slang
: hypodermic needle
8
: a momentary sharp increase and fall in electric potential
also
: action potential
9
: an abrupt sharp increase (as in prices or rates)
a spike in unemployment
a spike in the number of infections
spiked; spiking
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°
: to increase sharply
battery sales spiked after the storm
spiker
noun
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
Luke Fountain, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
And many states will have steeper insurance premiums spikes than Idaho, said Malia Rogers, an insurance broker in Idaho.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
The White House warned that Americans should expect airport delays and disruptions if the shutdown spills into the Thanksgiving holiday, when travel historically spikes.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spike
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
That spike is showing up on store shelves.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
And many states will have steeper insurance premiums spikes than Idaho, said Malia Rogers, an insurance broker in Idaho.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Although the balloon incident has not been directly linked to Moscow, Lithuania's border closures add to tensions spiked by accusations of Russian incursions into NATO airspace amid Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
The White House warned that Americans should expect airport delays and disruptions if the shutdown spills into the Thanksgiving holiday, when travel historically spikes.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spike
Cite this Entry
“Spike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spike. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spike
1 of 3 noun1
: 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 noun1
: 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
(2)
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
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