1. [n]  sports equipment consisting of a sharp point on the sole of a shoe worn by athletes; "spikes provide greater traction"
2. [n]  a long metal nail
3. [n]  any holding device consisting of a long sharp-pointed object
4. [n]  a long sharp-pointed implement (wood or metal)
5. [n]  a sharp-pointed projection along the top of a fence or wall
6. [n]  a transient variation in voltage or current
7. [n]  (botany) an indeterminate inflorescence bearing sessile flowers on an unbranched axis
8. [n]  fruiting spike of a cereal plant especially corn
9. [v]  add alcohol beverages
10. [v]  bring forth a spike or spikes, as of flowers, such as hyacinths
11. [v]  pierce with a sharp stake or point; "impale a shrimp on a skewer"
12. [v]  secure with spikes
13. [v]  stand in the way of

Spike
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1. \Spike\, n. [Akin to LG. spiker, spieker, a large nail, D.
   spijker, Sw. spik, Dan. spiger, Icel. sp[=i]k; all perhaps
   from L. spica a point, an ear of grain; but in the sense of
   nail more likely akin to E. spoke of a wheel. Cf. {Spine}.]
   1. A sort of very large nail; also, a piece of pointed iron
      set with points upward or outward.
   2. Anything resembling such a nail in shape.
            He wears on his head the corona radiata . . .; the
            spikes that shoot out represent the rays of the sun.
                                                  --Addison.
   3. An ear of corn or grain.
   4. (Bot.) A kind of flower cluster in which sessile flowers
      are arranged on an unbranched elongated axis.
   {Spike grass} (Bot.), either of two tall perennial American
      grasses ({Uniola paniculata}, and {U. latifolia}) having
      broad leaves and large flattened spikelets.
   {Spike rush}. (Bot.) See under {Rush}.
   {Spike shell} (Zo["o]l.), any pteropod of the genus
      {Styliola} having a slender conical shell.
   {Spike team}, three horses, or a horse and a yoke of oxen,
      harnessed together, a horse leading the oxen or the span.
      [U.S.]
   

2. \Spike\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spiked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Spiking}.]
   1. To fasten with spikes, or long, large nails; as, to spike
      down planks.
   2. To set or furnish with spikes.
   3. To fix on a spike. [R.] --Young.
   4. To stop the vent of (a gun or cannon) by driving a spike
      nail, or the like into it.
   

3. \Spike\, n. [Cf. G. spieke, L. spica an ear of grain. See
   {Spikenard}.] (Bot.)
   Spike lavender. See {Lavender}.
   {Oil of spike} (Chem.), a colorless or yellowish aromatic oil
      extracted from the European broad-leaved lavender, or
      aspic ({Lavendula Spica}), used in artist's varnish and in
      veterinary medicine. It is often adulterated with oil of
      turpentine, which it much resembles.
   

To defeat a selection mechanism by introducing a (sometimes temporary) device that forces a specific result. The word is used in several industries; telephone engineers refer to spiking a relay by inserting a pin to hold the relay in either the closed or open state, and railroaders refer to spiking a track switch so that it cannot be moved. In programming environments it normally refers to a temporary change, usually for testing purposes (as opposed to a permanent change, which would be called hard-coded).