spile

A splinter.

A spigot or plug used to stop the hole in a barrel or cask.

So I felt my way down the passage back to the vault, and recked not of the darkness, nor of Blackbeard and his crew, if only I could lay my lips to liquor. Thus I groped about the barrels till near the top of the stack my hand struck on the spile of a keg, and drawing it, I got my mouth to the hold.

A spout inserted in a maple (or other tree) to draw off sap.

Now, chamfering one end of the elderberry tube slightly to fit, I push it into the hole and wait. After a few seconds sap will begin to drip from the end of the tube, a tangible flow of life and vitality. […] Beneath the tube, properly called a spile, I place my cup to catch the drips.

To plug (a hole) with a spile.

To draw off (a liquid) using a spile.

To provide (a barrel, tree etc.) with a spile.

A pile; a post or girder.

The bottom of the river is of hard, sparkling white sand, into which spiles are easily driven; and the building and keeping up of such a wharf is a trifling trouble...

[…]we'd settled that I’d pick up some spiles from Greg Fitch first thing on Monday morning and get something done about that fence.