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Stile vs Spile - What's the difference?

stile | spile |

As nouns the difference between stile and spile

is that stile is a set of steps surmounting a fence or wall, or a narrow gate or contrived passage through a fence or wall, which in either case allows people but not livestock to pass while spile is a splinter.

As a verb spile is

to plug (a hole) with a spile.

stile

English

Alternative forms

* (l)

Noun

(wikipedia stile) (en noun)
  • A set of steps surmounting a fence or wall, or a narrow gate or contrived passage through a fence or wall, which in either case allows people but not livestock to pass.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
  • 'Twas very true what Greening said; for of a summer evening I would take the path that led up Weatherbeech Hill, behind the Manor; both because 'twas a walk that had a good prospect in itself, and also a sweet charm for me, namely, the hope of seeing Grace Maskew. And there I often sat upon the stile that ends the path and opens on the down, and watched the old half-ruined house below; and sometimes saw white-frocked Gracie walking on the terrace in the evening sun, and sometimes in returning passed her window near enough to wave a greeting.
  • A vertical component of a panel or frame, such as that of a door or window.
  • A pin set on the face of a dial, to cast a shadow; a style.
  • (Moxon)
  • (obsolete) A mode of composition; a style.
  • * Bunyan
  • May I not write in such a stile as this?

    Anagrams

    * * * * * ----

    spile

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) or (etyl) , (etyl) spile.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A splinter.
  • A spigot or plug used to stop the hole in a barrel or cask.
  • *1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
  • *:So I felt my way down the passage back to the vault, and recked not of the darkness, nor of Blackbeard and his crew, if only I could lay my lips to liquor. Thus I groped about the barrels till near the top of the stack my hand struck on the spile of a keg, and drawing it, I got my mouth to the hold.
  • (US) A spout inserted in a maple (or other tree) to draw off sap.
  • Verb

    (spil)
  • To plug (a hole) with a spile.
  • To draw off (a liquid) using a spile.
  • To provide (a barrel, tree etc.) with a spile.
  • Etymology 2

    Alteration of (pile), after Etymology 1, above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A pile; a post or girder.
  • Verb

    (spil)
  • To support by means of spiles.
  • Etymology 3

    Alteration of (l).

    Verb

    (spil)
  • (US, dialect, ambitransitive) spoil.
  • Anagrams

    * * * ----