EMPALEMENT, an ancient kind of punishment, which consisted in thrusting a stake up the fundament. The word comes from the French empaler, or the Italian impalare; or rather, they are all alike derived
Empanel-
ling
||
Emperor.
from the Latin palus "a flake," and the preposition in, "in or into." We find mention of empaling in Juvenal. It was frequently practised in the time of Nero, and continues to be so in Turkey.
EMPALEMENT of a Flower, the same with CALYX.