1. the act of piercing or transfixing with a sharp stake or pointed object
2. a method of execution or torture in which a person is pierced through the body by a stake or pointed object
Usage: historical
3. in heraldry, the arrangement of two coats of arms side by side on a shield
Usage: heraldry

Examples

• The accident resulted in the impalement of the driver on the steering column.
• Historical records describe impalement as a brutal form of punishment used in medieval times.
• The shield displayed the impalement of the two family crests to show the marriage alliance.
• The fence post's impalement through the wooden board made it impossible to remove.
• Medieval warfare sometimes involved the impalement of soldiers on sharpened stakes.
• The heraldic impalement combined the bride's and groom's coats of arms on a single shield.