pole

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpōl

Synonyms of pole next

: a long slender usually cylindrical object (such as a length of wood)

: a shaft which extends from the front axle of a wagon between wheelhorses and by which the wagon is drawn : tongue

: a long staff of wood, metal, or fiberglass used in the pole vault

: a varying unit of length

especially : one equal to a rod (16¹/₂ feet or about 5 meters)

: a tree with a breast-high diameter of from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 centimeters)

: the inside front row position on the starting line for a race

pole

2 of 4

verb

poled; poling

transitive verb

: to act upon with a pole

: to impel or push with a pole

intransitive verb

: to propel a boat with a pole

: to use ski poles to gain speed

pole

3 of 4

noun (2)

: either extremity of an axis of a sphere and especially of the earth's axis

: either of two related opposites

: a point of guidance or attraction

: either of the two terminals of an electric cell, battery, generator, or motor

: one of two or more regions in a magnetized body at which the magnetic flux density is concentrated

: either of two morphologically or physiologically differentiated areas at opposite ends of an axis in an organism or cell see blastula illustration

: the fixed point in a system of polar coordinates that serves as the origin

: the point of origin of two tangents to a conic section that determine a polar

Pole

4 of 4

noun (3)

ˈpōl

: a native or inhabitant of Poland

: a person of Polish descent

Phrases

poles apart

: diametrically opposed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Another was dragged down the steps outside the Capitol and attacked with a flag pole. —

Danielle Campoamor, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021 That speech, which liberals of a certain age can almost recite by heart, represents one pole of Democratic rhetoric. —

Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 11 Jan. 2021 Stroll started from pole ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on a resurfaced and skiddy circuit not used in F1 since 2011. —

Bloomberg.com, 15 Nov. 2020 The elk headed back for the pole thickets in the higher country. —

Field & Stream, 15 Nov. 2020 Another man, Francis Nunez, crashed into a light pole in upper Manhattan while riding a Revel scooter without a helmet. —

Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 8 Sep. 2020 Nick Goody took over and retired the next two batters before Brantley hit his homer off the foul pole in right field on a full count. —

Kristie Rieken, Star Tribune, 1 Sep. 2020 Manny Machado reeled it in just feet from the foul pole. —

Sam Blum, Dallas News, 20 Aug. 2020 On the third pole, though, and on the positive side, there's far more awareness about those risks and how to approach addressing them, identifying what are the most important assets to protect and ensuring good practices are in place. —

CBS News, 19 Aug. 2020

Verb

The guide will pole the skiff along on the shallow flats from a platform at the back of the boat, while the angler stands ready to cast from the front. —

Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2021 Beyond Gatun the river current was stronger, and the boatmen needed all their strength to pole the bungos upstream. —

Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, 2 Oct. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English pāl stake, pole, from Latin palus stake; akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Latin polus, from Greek polos pivot, pole; akin to Greek pelesthai to become, Sanskrit carati he moves, wanders — more at wheel

Noun (3)

German, of Slavic origin; akin to Polish Polak Pole, Polska Poland, pole field

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1573, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of pole was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pole. Accessed 9 Jul. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

pole

1 of 4 noun

ˈpōl

: a long slender piece of material (as wood or metal)

telephone poles

: rod sense 2a

pole

2 of 4 verb

poled; poling

: to push or move with a pole

pole a boat

poler noun

pole

3 of 4 noun

: either end of an axis of a globe and especially of the earth's axis

: one of the two terminals of an electric cell or battery

: one of two or more regions in a magnetized body at which the magnetism seems to be concentrated

: either of two specialized areas at opposite ends of an axis in an organism or cell

chromosomes moving toward the poles of a dividing cell

Pole

4 of 4 noun

ˈpōl

: a person born or living in Poland

Etymology

Noun

Old English pāl "stake, pole"

Noun

Middle English pool "axis of the earth," from Latin polus (same meaning), from Greek polos "pivot, pole"

Medical Definition

pole

noun

ˈpōl

: either of the two terminals of an electric cell, battery, generator, or motor

: one of two or more regions in a magnetized body at which the magnetic flux density is concentrated

: either of two morphologically or physiologically differentiated areas at opposite ends of an axis in an organism, organ, or cell see animal pole, vegetal pole