a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic
"The construction crew worked late into the night to widen the pike before the holiday rush began."
highly valued northern freshwater fish with lean flesh
"The anglers eagerly waited to catch a pike, known for its lean and tasty white meat."
a sharp point (as on the end of a spear)
"The soldier held his pike high, ready to thrust at the charging enemy."
medieval weapon consisting of a spearhead attached to a long pole or pikestaff; superseded by the bayonet
"The pikeman thrust his long wooden pole armed with a sharp metal head forward, standing firm against the advancing cavalry."
any of several elongate long-snouted freshwater game and food fishes widely distributed in cooler parts of the northern hemisphere
"The angler cast his line near the deep drop-off, hoping to hook a pike before dusk."
A very long spear used two-handed by infantry soldiers for thrusting (not throwing), both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a countermeasure against cavalry assaults.
"The new pike organized a surprise party for his brothers at the campus chapter house."
Short for turnpike.
A member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
In plain English: A pike is a long, sharp spear used by soldiers to attack enemies from horseback or on foot.
"The pike swam silently beneath the surface of the lake, waiting for its prey."
To prod, attack, or injure someone with a pike.
"The highway was piked to allow faster travel during the construction season."
To equip with a turnpike.
In plain English: To pike means to suddenly bend your body forward at the waist, often as part of an acrobatic move or when falling backward.
"The sun pike through the clouds, briefly illuminating the misty valley below."
Usage: Use the verb "to pike" to describe prodding an opponent with this long spear during combat rather than throwing it like a javelin. This term specifically refers to infantry thrusts and should not be confused with modern actions involving turning on one's heels or equipping roads with toll gates.
A surname, from Middle English.
"The famous pike family has lived in that village for over three hundred years."
From Middle English pyke, pyk, pik, pike ("pike; sharp point, iron tip of a staff or spear, pointed toe of an item of footwear; sharp tool; mountain, peak"), from Old English pīc ("pointed object, pick axe"), and Middle French pique ("long thrusting weapon"), from Old French pic ("sharp point, spike"); both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic pīk, from Proto-Germanic pīkaz, *pīkō ("sharp point, pike, peak"), related to pick with a narrower meaning.