(Lat. *in*, and *palus*, a stake), a fencing or inclosing with stakes; a stockade. The word is particularly applied to a barbarous kind of punishment by thrusting a stake up the fundament, and thus leaving the victim to perish. Instances are on record of persons who lingered under this torture for several days. Empalement was much practised in ancient times at Rome; and even within a very recent period among the Turks and other barbarous nations.