pylon

noun

py·​lon ˈpī-ˌlän 

-lən

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 (such as an engine or missile) see airplane illustration

Illustration of pylon

• pylon 1b

Examples of pylon in a Sentence

The bridge is supported by concrete pylons.

a row of electricity pylons

Recent Examples on the Web

Continuing with the passing offense, wide receiver Jalen Royals made a leaping touchdown catch from Patrick Mahomes in red-zone 7-on-7, just inside the back left pylon. —Pete Sweeney june 11, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026

Awaiting beyond a temple pylon recreated in the Parisian hôtel particulier were a series of columns, each bisected by a large sculpted niche with treasures galore within. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 9 June 2026

This means that a missile suspended on an external pylon or inside an internal weapons bay is subjected to extreme gradients in pressure and velocity. —David Szondy june 04, New Atlas, 4 June 2026

Notice the four pylons under the wings for carrying weapons externally. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek pylōn, from pylē gate

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for pylon

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

pylon

noun

py·​lon ˈpī-ˌlän 

-lən

1

: a tower for supporting a long span of wire

also : any of various structures like a tower

2

: a post or tower marking a prescribed course of flight for an airplane

Medical Definition

pylon

noun

py·​lon ˈpī-ˌlän  -lən 

: a simple temporary artificial leg