skewer / spear
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skewer
A long, thin rod made of metal or wood onto which meat or vegetables are put in order to grill or roast them.
Für das Barbecue haben wir leckere Fleischspieße vorbereitet.
For the barbecue, we prepared delicious meat skewers.
The idiom 'den Spieß umdrehen' (to turn the tables) is a fixed unit. The verb 'umdrehen' (to turn around) and the article 'den' are fixed components used to express the figurative meaning.
Der Angeklagte drehte den Spieß um und warf der Zeugin Lügen vor.
The defendant turned the tables and accused the witness of lying.
When 'Spieß' (stick-in-the-mud) describes a person, the term is colloquial and has a clearly negative, derogatory meaning. It is used to criticize narrow-mindedness.
Er regt sich über laute Musik auf, er ist halt ein echter Spieß.
He gets upset about loud music; he's just a real stick-in-the-mud.
The context makes clear which meaning is intended. Words like 'grillen' (to grill), 'Fleisch' (meat), or 'Gemüse' (vegetables) point to the cooking skewer. Words like 'Soldaten' (soldiers), 'Waffe' (weapon), or 'mittelalterlich' (medieval) indicate the historical weapon.
Steckst du bitte noch die Paprika auf den Spieß?
Could you please put the bell pepper on the skewer too?
In the kitchen or when grilling, people often talk about 'Fleischspieße' (meat skewers), 'Gemüsespieße' (vegetable skewers), or 'Grillspieße' (grill skewers). You can also put something 'auf einen Spieß stecken' (onto a skewer).
Die Gemüsespieße auf dem Grill sehen köstlich aus.
The vegetable skewers on the grill look delicious.
doner kebab / spit
'der Döner' and 'der Spieß' can occur together when grilling meat. 'der Döner' usually means the finished doner kebab in bread with meat, salad, and sauce. But it can also mean the large vertical rotating spit with doner meat on it. 'der Spieß' is more general: it is a long stick or rod that you put meat or vegetables on. The words can be confusing because doner meat is grilled on a spit. But for the food, you say 'Döner'. For the stick or the grilling device, you say 'Spieß'.
Beim Grillen legt Mehmet einen Spieß mit Gemüse auf den Rost.
At the barbecue, Mehmet puts a skewer with vegetables on the grill.
Nach dem Training kauft sich Max einen Döner mit viel Salat.
After training, Max buys himself a doner kebab with lots of salad.