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

Sun Cruiser branding will now be featured throughout MetLife Stadium, with sponsor signage including gate pylons, video board integrations and daily exposure on highway marquee. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Quarterback Anthony Colandrea outran safety Avery Dixon on a 10-yard touchdown run, diving to the end zone pylon to finish a 75-yard drive on the game's opening series, and then Rule bulled in from the 3 to end a 90-yard march. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

Nix darted to his right at the snap as Harvey ran a flat route toward the front pylon. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Floods destroyed the footbridges, leaving remnants of stone pylons littering the creek, NPS said, and hiking trails, utilities and other infrastructure suffered significant damage. — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 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