pylon

noun py·lon \ ˈpī-ˌlän , -lən \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Examples: pylon in a Sentence

Definition of pylon

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

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Examples of pylon in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of pylon from the Web

Soon, Virgin Orbit will add a pylon and fly with that, then an empty rocket, and then finally a fueled rocket before a launch occurs.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "With a simple and cheap rocket, Virgin Orbit aims for the extraordinary," 4 June 2018
During 7 on 7s, Foles hooked up with tight end Zach Ertz just inside the pylon.

— jeff mclane, Philly.com, "Eagles practice observations: Carson Wentz does more (again); Sidney Jones intercepts; De'Vante Bausby gets some looks," 29 May 2018
The span's signature, 109-foot-tall pylon was to be built atop a footing, or base, at the northern end of the span.

— CBS News, "Florida bridge collapse: Design change put project behind schedule, millions over budget," 20 Mar. 2018
Although a tiltrotor, the V-280 uses a different technique to switch between helicopter and conventional forward flight modes: while the older V-22 Osprey tilts its entire wing to rotate the rotors, the V-280 merely rotates the engine pylons.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "V-280 Valor Tiltrotor Achieves First Cruise Mode Flight," 16 May 2018
His bridge relies for stability on thousands of pylons driven into the seabed, and has double arches rising about 115 feet above the water to let ships pass.

— New York Times, "Putin Opens Bridge to Crimea, Cementing Russia’s Hold on Neighbor," 15 May 2018
Walls, trees and power pylons were taken down in Uttar Pradesh state by hail, wind and thunderstorms, leaving 48 dead, according to T.P. Gupta of the state disaster management department.

— casey quackenbush, Time, "Sand and Thunderstorms Sweep Across India, Leaving More Than 86 Dead," 15 May 2018
The bridge’s pylons were just too large to emulate.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "In 1932, the Garden Club of America thought D.C. needed fancier entryways," 5 May 2018
After weeks of back and forth, it was decided to move the pylon 11 feet to the north, sitting near the edge of the canal.

— jason dearen and jennifer kay, chicagotribune.com, "Documents: Key design change stymied bridge cost, schedule," 20 Mar. 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.

Illustration of pylon

Origin and Etymology of pylon

Greek pylōn, from pylē gate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1817

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Archaeology Terms

Attic, Byzantine, Paleolithic, cairn, core, flint, horizon, neolithic, shard, stratum

PYLON Defined for English Language Learners

pylon

noun

Definition of pylon for English Language Learners

: a tall tower or similar structure
: a tall, metal structure that is part of a series of structures supporting a long stretch of electrical wire
American football : one of the upright markers that are positioned at the corners of the end zone