Main Entry:

¹pole

Pronunciation:

\ˈpōl\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

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

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: a long slender usually cylindrical object (as a length of wood) b: a shaft which extends from the front axle of a wagon between wheelhorses and by which the wagon is drawn : tongue c: a long staff of wood, metal, or fiberglass used in the pole vault2: a varying unit of length ; especially : one equal to a rod (16¹⁄₂ feet or about 5 meters)3: a tree with a breast-high diameter of from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 centimeters)4: the inside front row position on the starting line for a race