pylon

noun

py·lon | \ˈpī-ˌlän,

-lən\

Definition of pylon

1a : 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

2a chiefly British : a tower for supporting either end of usually a number of wires over a long span

b : any of various towerlike structures

3a : 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 (such as an engine or missile) — see airplane illustration

Examples of pylon in a Sentence

The bridge is supported by concrete pylons. a row of electricity pylons

Recent Examples on the Web

The segment that failed had been placed atop the pylon’s footing, and the taller tower section was to be installed later. — Washington Post, "Documents: Major design change changed bridge cost, schedule," 21 Mar. 2018 The segment that failed had been placed atop the pylon’s footing, and the taller tower section was to be installed later. — Fox News, "Key design change stymied cost, schedule of bridge in deadly Florida collapse," 20 Mar. 2018 That meant catching a crossing route between two Broncos, shrugging off safety Justin Simmons, veering left, stopping as suddenly as a 265-pound armored tank possibly can, watching safety Will Parks fly by and then diving just short of the pylon. — Mike Vorel, The Seattle Times, "Rookie tight end Will Dissly brings the ‘cool’ in Seahawks’ season opener," 9 Sep. 2018 Making his first overtake on the race course as the two aircraft passed the start/finish pylon prompted Findlay to name his airplane One Moment in honor of that fleeting instant. — Eric Tegler, Ars Technica, "400mph, 50 feet up—what it takes to race and win world’s fastest motorsport," 30 Aug. 2018 When a serious incident does occur on the water, such as when a ferry struck a pylon in November 2017 or when a helicopter crashed in the East River in March, both the NYPD and the U.S. Coast Guard will respond. — Zolan Kanno-youngs, WSJ, "Avast, Ye Criminals! NYPD Harbor Unit Has Increased Role as Waterways Boom," 1 Oct. 2018 These tubes, either raised on pylons or sunk beneath the earth, could be built either within or between cities. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "SpaceX’s hyperloop race was all about ‘maximum speed’ (and celebrating Elon Musk)," 28 July 2018 Another perfect pass arced in, this time right at the pylon, just ahead of the collision point between Smith, Waynes and safety Harrison Smith desperately closing over the top. — Conor Orr, SI.com, "Nick Foles and the Eagles Achieved Something Spectacular—Downing the NFL's No. 1 Defense," 21 Jan. 2018 The ball went up, a back-shoulder fade toward the front pylon. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State QB Brian Lewerke working to create 'two-headed monster'," 18 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pylon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.