Main Entry: py·lon

Pronunciation: \ˈpī-ˌlän, -lən\

Function: noun

Etymology: Greek pylōn, from pylē gate

Date: 1850

1 a : a usually massive gateway b : an ancient Egyptian gateway building in a truncated pyramidal form c : a monumental mass flanking an entranceway or an approach to a bridge
2 a chiefly British : a tower for supporting either end of usually a number of wires over a long span b : any of various towerlike structures
3 a : a post or tower marking a prescribed course of flight for an airplane b : traffic cone c : one of the flexible upright markers positioned on a football field at the corners of the end zone
4 : a rigid structure on the outside of an aircraft for supporting something (as an engine or missile) — see airplane illustration

[pylon illustration]