spile

noun

1. (Cumbria, dialectal, obsolete)A splinter.
2. A spigot or plug used to stop the hole in a barrel or cask.

   “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.”

3. (US)A spout inserted in a maple (or other tree) to draw off sap.

   “Now, chamfering one end of the elderberry tube slightly to fit, I push it into the hole and wait. After a few seconds sap will begin to drip from the end of the tube, a tangible flow of life and vitality. […] Beneath the tube, properly called a spile, I place my cup to catch the drips.”

4. A pile; a post or girder.

   “The bottom of the river is of hard, sparkling white sand, into which spiles are easily driven; and the building and keeping up of such a wharf is a trifling trouble...”

   “[…]we'd settled that I’d pick up some spiles from Greg Fitch first thing on Monday morning and get something done about that fence.”

verb

1. To plug (a hole) with a spile.
2. To draw off (a liquid) using a spile.
3. To provide (a barrel, tree etc.) with a spile.
4. (transitive)To support by means of spiles.
5. (transitive)To drive piles into.
6. (US, ambitransitive, dialectal)spoil.