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Glite Dictionary
Impaler

Impaler

5 9.9
A name for Vlad III, a prince from Wallachia who punished enemies by putting long sticks through their bodies
  • proper noun
  • /ɪmˈpeɪlər/
  • NSFW
: El Empalador
  • You know, Vlad the Impaler.
  • Vlad the Impaler

Examples

  • The Turks called him Kaziglu Bey, the "Impaler Prince."

    The Detonator (2006)

  • And I am Vlad the Impaler.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • This castle is now the castle Vlad "The Impaler"

    Dracula: The Impaler (2013)

  • In the fifth century, Vlad V of Wallachia, known as Vlad the Impaler to his friends.

    The Funhouse (1981)

  • He was also known as Tepes, the Impaler a nickname well suited to his infamous and bloody deeds.

    Dracula 3D (2012)

  • Vlad the Impaler was notorious for his brutal practices and inspired the legend of Dracula.

  • The history books often mention Vlad Impaler for his infamous method of punishing his foes.

  • Many tales surround Vlad the Impaler, who ruled Wallachia with an iron fist and used impalement against his enemies.

Surface Forms

Impaler main

Morphology

Impaler = impale (semi-transparent) = impale + er

The step from 'impale' to 'impaler' is a regular and easily understood agent-noun formation meaning 'one who impales'.

Etymology

Impaler comes from the verb impale, which means 'to put someone on a stake'. Vlad III earned the nickname Impaler because he punished enemies by impaling them, so the name directly describes what he did.