What is a "Spike" in the context of the role of a senior technical support engineer?

There are many different buzzwords, acronyms, or other phrases specific to the job role in any profession. While you need to be careful about using these in your career materials and during an interview, you should be aware of their meanings and discuss how they are used in the profession. This question is an example of that. You should define the term you are being asked about, discuss how it is used in your profession, and possibly give an example to illustrate your answer.