• a large stout nail, especially one used to fasten a rail to a railway sleeper
• each of several metal points set into the sole of a running shoe to prevent slipping
• a pair of running shoes with metal points set into the sole
• a pointed metal rod standing on a base and used for filing paper items such as bills, or journalistic material considered for publication and rejected
• a hypodermic needle

"the oil price spike"

• a pulse of very short duration in which a rapid increase in voltage is followed by a rapid decrease

"he queued at the soup kitchen or the spike"

"she spiked another oyster"

• injure (a player) with the spikes on one's shoes
• (of a newspaper editor) reject (a story) by or as if by filing it on a spike

  "the editors deemed the article in bad taste and spiked it"

• stop the progress of (a plan or undertaking); put an end to

  "he doubted they would spike the entire effort over this one negotiation"

• render (a gun) useless by plugging up the vent with a spike

"his hair was matted and spiked with blood"

• take on a sharp, pointed shape

  "lightning spiked across the sky"

• increase and then decrease sharply; reach a peak

  "oil prices would spike and fall again"

"she bought me an orange juice and spiked it with vodka"

• add sharp or pungent flavouring to (food or drink)

  "spike the liquid with lime or lemon juice"

• enrich (a nuclear reactor or its fuel) with a particular isotope

  "the plutonium mixture could be spiked with caesium-137"

• fling (the ball) forcefully to the ground, typically in celebration of a touchdown or victory