Origin and history of spike

"large nail," usually of iron, mid-14c., perhaps from or related to a Scandinavian word, such as Old Norse spik "splinter," Middle Swedish spijk "nail," from Proto-Germanic *spikaz (source also of Middle Dutch spicher, Dutch spijker "nail," Old English spicing "large nail," Old English spaca, Old High German speihha "spoke").

In older sources this is reconstructed to be from a PIE root *spei- "sharp point," source also of Latin spica "ear of corn," spina "thorn, prickle, backbone," and perhaps pinna "pin;" Greek spilas "rock, cliff;" Lettish spile "wooden fork;" Lithuanian speigliai "thorns," spitna "tongue of a buckle;" Old English spitu "spit." But de Vaan finds only the Germanic, Latin, and perhaps Lithuanian words connected and offers no further etymology.

The English word also might be influenced by and partly a borrowing of Latin spica (see spike (n.2)), from the same root. The general sense of "short, sharp point; pointed projection" is by 1718. The slang meaning "needle" is from 1923. The meaning "pointed stud in athletic shoes" is from 1832. The electrical sense of "pulse of short duration" is from 1935. Spike-heel as a type of women's shoe is attested by 1929.

"ear of grain," c. 1300, from Latin spica "ear of grain," from PIE *speika-, from suffixed form of root *speig- "sharp point" (see spine, and compare spike (n.1)). In botany, as "flower-cluster along an unbranched axis," from 1570s.

1620s, "fasten with spikes," from spike (n.1). The sense of "furnish with spikes" is from 1680s (implied in spiked). The meaning "rise in a spike" is from 1958. The slang meaning "lace (a drink) with liquor" is by 1889.

The military use (1680s) means "to disable guns by driving a large nail into the touch-hole." Figurative use of this sense is from 1823. The journalism sense of "kill a story before publication" (1908) is from the upright metal spindle on which old-time editors filed hard copy of stories after they were set in type, or, with special vigor, when they were rejected for publication. Related: Spiked; spiking.