What does pikestaff mean?
A pikestaff is a long staff with a metal spike at one end, designed to provide support and stability on snow, ice, and difficult mountain terrain. A walker can plant it to test the condition of snow, check for hidden gaps, or steady a step across a slope. The implement is especially associated with mountaineering and winter travel, where it is often used alongside an ice axe, though their functions differ: a pikestaff primarily supports the user, whereas an ice axe is designed to cut or grip ice. The word also has a historical sense, referring to a pointed pole that could serve as a weapon. Today, pikestaff is relatively uncommon in general speech but remains a precise and useful term in descriptions of alpine travel, climbing, and polar expeditions.
nounA long staff fitted with a pointed metal spike at one end, used for walking, steadying oneself, testing ice or snow, and climbing. Historically, it could also refer to a pole with a spike used as a weapon.
- A long staff with a pointed spike, used for support while walking or climbing, particularly on snow and ice.
- A pole with a pointed end, formerly used as a weapon or defensive implement.
"The climber planted her pikestaff firmly in the crust before taking another step across the glacier."
"He tested the snow with his pikestaff before crossing the slope."
"The pikestaff was once carried by travelers and guards as both a walking aid and a defensive weapon."
The plural is uncommon because the word is normally used attributively or in the singular; pikestaffs is used when referring to several such staffs.
"The guides carried two pikestaffs across the snowfield."
A pikestaff turns a hazardous step across snow or ice into a question you can ask before committing your weight.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pikestaff come from?
Pikestaff is an English compound formed from pike, in the sense of a pointed implement or spike, and staff. The pike element developed from Middle English forms related to pick and spike, while staff comes from Old English stæf. The compound is attested from the early modern period, initially in contexts involving travel, climbing, and spiked weapons.
How pikestaff is actually used
In modern usage, the word is chiefly associated with mountaineering and winter travel. Its older sense as a spiked pole or weapon is now historical and may occur in literary or historical contexts.
Easily confused with pikestaff
An alpenstock is a long, often adjustable mountaineering pole with a basket or spike at its lower end, whereas a pikestaff is a rigid staff with a fixed spike.
An ice axe has a curved pick and is designed for climbing ice and hard snow, while a pikestaff is used chiefly for support and probing.