pylon

noun

py·​lon ˈpī-ˌlän How to pronounce pylon (audio)
-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
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

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 About an hour from the Holland Tunnel, take a right off Route 130 after the Dunkin’, file into a stadium-size parking lot, and, just past the electric pylon, a mirage appears: a bronze statue of a skinny yogi and, beyond it, swirls of stone fluffed up into meringue peaks. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 9 Nov. 2023 Residents say the meetings were unsatisfactory because the company presented the pylons as a fait accompli. Stanley Reed, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2023 Advertisement After Williams raced to the end zone and swept the ball past the inside edge of the pylon, the quarterback skipped toward the uprights, planted both feet on the ground and mimicked putting a crown on his head. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2023 Hufanga stopped Conner just short of the pylon and flexed in his face afterward. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 2 Oct. 2023 After initially being called a touchdown, Thorne’s dive at the pylon was reviewed and it the call was overturned, instead giving Auburn a first down from the 1-yard line. Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 16 Sep. 2023 The deadly crash sparked civil lawsuits, investigations by federal aviation officials and safety enhancements at the air races, such as moving racing pylons 150 feet farther from grandstands and installing concrete barriers. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023 Its introduction comes as Jets quarterbacks and Hackett play the pylon game. Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2023 The lifts there closed for the final time at the end of the 2013–14 season, and the skeletal pylons still strewn across the hillside have long since turned to rust. WIRED, 18 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pylon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek pylōn, from pylē gate

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pylon was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near pylon

Cite this Entry

“Pylon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pylon. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

pylon

noun
py·​lon ˈpī-ˌlän How to pronounce pylon (audio)
-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 How to pronounce pylon (audio) -lən How to pronounce pylon (audio)
: a simple temporary artificial leg

More from Merriam-Webster on pylon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!