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

An armed attack helicopter version of Defiant would probably be fitted with pylons for the Joint Air-Ground Missile, the new replacement for the aging Hellfire missile. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Potential Blackhawk Replacement Starts Ground Tests," 2 Feb. 2019 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 span's signature, 109-foot-tall pylon was to be built atop a base at the span's northern end. — Jason Dearen And Jennifer Kay, chicagotribune.com, "Documents: Key design change stymied bridge cost, schedule," 20 Mar. 2018 Manziel impressed again in the second quarter, rushing for ten yards and diving for the pylon to put his team up 14-7. — SI.com, "Watch: Johnny Manziel Scores Two Touchdowns in Second Spring League Game," 12 Apr. 2018 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

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.