spike
/spaɪk/ noun C1- A sort of very large nail.
- A piece of pointed metal etc. set with points upward or outward. · The trap was lined with spikes.
- Anything resembling such a nail in shape.
- An ear of corn or grain.
- A kind of inflorescence in which sessile flowers are arranged on an unbranched elongated axis.
- A running shoe with spikes in the sole to provide grip.
- A sharp peak in a graph.
- A surge in power or in the price of a commodity, etc.; any sudden and brief change that would be represented by a sharp peak on a graph.
Plural spikes
Phrasal verbs and expressions
From the library
Tonight a spike of white lilies faintly perfumed the room like the dream of a fragrance.
Business leaders drove a golden spike into the track to celebrate the grand achievement.
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