Unspike
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 An instance of unspiking (any sense).
"This included an unspike oxygen uptake of mixed liquor, and a mixed liquor sample spiked with 10% by volume primary effluent."
- 1 To remove a spike from.
"To unspike a cannon, attempt to drive the spike into the bore with a punch; if this succeeds, and the bore be obstructed, introduce powder into the vent to force the obstacle out."
- 2 To make or become less spiky.
"He can easily unspike his hair and float the skateboard down the river."
- 3 To return to a normal level after a very high spike.
"The applied (or absorbed) microwave power in the plasma does not appear to have a first order affect on the conditions at which the plasma either spikes or unspikes."
- 4 To neutralize the alcohol (or other adulterant) in a food, drink, or other substance.
"HOW TO UNSPIKE OUR SWEETS Our spiked desserts ( pages 104-105 ) have real punch!"
Example
More examples"To unspike a cannon, attempt to drive the spike into the bore with a punch; if this succeeds, and the bore be obstructed, introduce powder into the vent to force the obstacle out."
Etymology
From un- + spike.
More for "unspike"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.