pole

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpōl 

1

a

: a long slender usually cylindrical object (such 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 vault

2

: 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

pole

2 of 4

verb

poled; poling

transitive verb

1

: to act upon with a pole

2

: to impel or push with a pole

intransitive verb

1

: to propel a boat with a pole

2

: to use ski poles to gain speed

pole

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

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

2

a

: either of two related opposites

b

: a point of guidance or attraction

3

a

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

b

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

4

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

5

a

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

b

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

Pole

4 of 4

noun (3)

ˈpōl 

1

: a native or inhabitant of Poland

2

: a person of Polish descent

Phrases

poles apart

: diametrically opposed

Examples of pole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sea ice that packs the ocean around Antarctica hit record low levels this winter, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said on Monday, adding to scientists’ fears that the impact of climate change at the southern pole is ramping up. —Reuters, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2023

The steam mop also comes with a number of attachments, including an extension pole, mop head, microfiber pads, nylon brushes, a squeegee, triangle brush, jet nozzle, and a grout cleaning tool. —Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023

Below the screen, five grotesque masks stand mounted on poles, and one — larger, more ominous — hangs suspended on a central wall. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2023

In autumn, winter, and spring, the skies near the Earth’s geomagnetic poles come alive with nature’s greatest light show. —Debbie Olsen, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2023

In North Andover, emergency crews blocked roads with cones and signs, and warned that areas that might seem passable at first glance could have a pole or tree on the ground out of view, according to a statement from the North Andover Police Department. —Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023

About 300 workers were still working to remove trees and replace dozens of broken poles and equipment to restore power Thursday. —Paige Eichkorn, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2023

My friend Jake played Motown and R&B, my friends Amy and Andy played an acoustic set, and my friend Lydia did a dance on a stripper pole shaped like a toothbrush. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2023

The world has been warmer before, but that was prior to human civilization, seas were much higher and the poles were not icy. —Jamey Keaten, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023

Verb

The Dane’s lap then put him to pole, with the Mexican driver, still searching for his first pole of the year. —Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 15 July 2023

But, at the end of the day, finishing first in your respective conference goes a long way for the voting party, which Denver has seemingly done pole to pole this season. —Tyler Small, Forbes, 31 Mar. 2023

Being an island at a reasonably high latitude means rockets can launch north over uninhabited ocean, entering into orbit from pole to pole around our planet. —WIRED, 23 Sep. 2022

Columbia, then Rodinia and most recently Pangea, which formed about 335 million years ago, stretching from pole to pole along the longitudes of the mid-Atlantic. —Jack Feerick, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2020

His plan is to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe from east to west and pole to pole without the help of motors, sails, or solar energy. —The Editors, Outside Online, 17 Nov. 2014

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

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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

Phrases Containing pole

• celestial pole
• animal pole
• pole bean
• magnetic pole
• low man on the totem pole
• telephone pole
• telegraph pole
• ski pole
• not touch (someone or something) with a ten-foot pole
• pole vault
• wouldn't touch (something) with a 10-foot pole
• vegetal pole
• totem pole
• up the pole
• utility pole
• the pole vault
• south-seeking pole
• liberty pole
• pole dancing
• pole position
• north pole
• south pole
• north-seeking pole
• pole vaulter

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• celestial pole
• animal pole
• pole bean
• magnetic pole
• low man on the totem pole
• telephone pole
• telegraph pole
• ski pole
• not touch (someone or something) with a ten-foot pole
• pole vault
• wouldn't touch (something) with a 10-foot pole
• vegetal pole
• totem pole
• up the pole
• utility pole
• the pole vault
• south-seeking pole
• liberty pole
• pole dancing
• pole position
• north pole
• south pole
• north-seeking pole
• pole vaulter

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Kids Definition

pole

1 of 4 noun

ˈpōl 

1

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

telephone poles

2

: 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

1

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

2

a

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

b

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

3

: 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 

1

a

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

b

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

2

: 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

Biographical Definition

Pole

biographical name

ˈpōl 

ˈpül

Reginald 1500–1558 English cardinal; archbishop of Canterbury (1556–58)