Illustration of pylon
- pylon 1b
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
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
What To Know What Happened On November 4, UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville when its left engine and pylon detached from the wing, triggering a massive fire and explosion that killed 14 people and injured 23 others.
—
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
The quarterback scrambled to his left and dove toward the pylon and hit it on his way down.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
Construction of the new bridge's support pylons is scheduled to begin in the Ohio River in 2026.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Dec. 2025
The project, known as a gondola ropeway, involves 10 pylons and three stations – valley, intermediate and summit – with 50 cabins seating 10 people each, able to carry 2,400 passengers an hour.
—Reuters 6 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pylon
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
The quarterback scrambled to his left and dove toward the pylon and hit it on his way down.
—Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
Construction of the new bridge's support pylons is scheduled to begin in the Ohio River in 2026.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Dec. 2025
The project, known as a gondola ropeway, involves 10 pylons and three stations – valley, intermediate and summit – with 50 cabins seating 10 people each, able to carry 2,400 passengers an hour.
—Reuters 6 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pylon
Cite this Entry
“Pylon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pylon. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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