punji sticks

Sharpened pit stakes

Punji sticks are sharpened bamboo stakes concealed in pits or underbrush as a trap.

Associated especially with the Vietnam War, they were planted point-up and sometimes smeared with feces to cause infection.

The term extends to any similar improvised spike trap: The trail was lined with punji sticks.

trap

pitfall

Hidden danger or drawback

spike pitCamouflaged hole with stakes
booby trapHidden device to harm
concealedMade invisible deliberately

camouflage · snare · tripwire · bait · lure · decoy · ambush · entrapment · hidden · triggering

injury

impale

Pierce and hold fast

punctureHole from penetration
perforateMake holes through
woundCoiled, or an injury

laceration · tetanus · sepsis · infection · poisoned · contaminated · festering · gangrene · incapacitate · maim

vietnam

Viet Cong

Vietnamese communist guerrilla force

guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
jungle warfareArmed conflict in dense forest
insurgencyArmed uprising against authority

resistance · Ho Chi Minh Trail · asymmetric warfare · low-tech · tunnel systems · perimeter defense

construction

bamboo

Tall woody grass

sharpenedMade more cutting
stakesPosts or wagers
carvedCut to create form

pointed · hardened · whittled · angled · embedded · wooden · handmade · primitive · improvised · crafted

Opposites

weapon sophistication/technology

punji stickssmart bombs

Self-directing precision weapons

cruise missiles · drone strikes · stealth aircraft · ballistic missiles · nuclear weapons

intent/function

punji sticksmedical supplies

Healthcare materials and tools

first aid kit · body armor · protective gear · bandages · antiseptic

Family

stick, sticks, stuck, sticking, sticky, stickiness

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Rated PG-13