pole
1a long, cylindrical, often slender piece of wood, metal, etc.: a telephone pole; a fishing pole.
Northeastern U.S. a long, tapering piece of wood or other material that extends from the front axle of a vehicle between the animals drawing it.
Nautical.
a light spar.
that part of a mast between the uppermost standing rigging and the truck.
the lane of a racetrack nearest to the infield; the inside lane.: Compare post1 (def. 5).
a unit of length equal to 16½ feet (5 meters); a rod.
a square rod, 30¼ square yards (25.3 square meters).
to furnish with poles.
to push, strike, or propel with a pole: to pole a raft.
Baseball. to make (an extra-base hit) by batting the ball hard and far: He poled a triple to deep right-center.
Metallurgy. to stir (molten metal, as copper, tin, or zinc) with poles of green wood so as to produce carbon, which reacts with the oxygen present to effect deoxidation.
to propel a boat, raft, etc., with a pole: to pole down the river.
Idioms about pole
under bare poles,
Nautical. (of a sailing ship) with no sails set, as during a violent storm.
stripped; naked; destitute: The thugs robbed him and left him under bare poles.
Origin of pole
1Other words from pole
- poleless, adjective
- un·poled, adjective
Words Nearby pole
Other definitions for pole (2 of 4)
each of the extremities of the axis of the earth or of any spherical body.
Astronomy. celestial pole.
one of two opposite or contrasted principles or tendencies: His behavior ranges between the poles of restraint and abandon.
a point of concentration of interest, attention, etc.:The beautiful actress was the pole of everyone's curiosity.
Electricity, Magnetism. either of the two regions or parts of an electric battery, magnet, or the like, that exhibits electrical or magnetic polarity.
Cell Biology.
either end of an ideal axis in a nucleus, cell, or ovum, about which parts are more or less symmetrically arranged.
either end of a spindle-shaped figure formed in a cell during mitosis.
the place at which a cell extension or process begins, as a nerve cell axon or a flagellum.
Mathematics.
a singular point at which a given function of a complex variable can be expanded in a Laurent series beginning with a specified finite, negative power of the variable.
Crystallography. a line perpendicular to a crystal face and passing through the crystal center.
Origin of pole
2Other definitions for Pole (3 of 4)
a native or inhabitant of Poland.
Other definitions for Pole (4 of 4)
Reginald, 1500–58, English cardinal and last Roman Catholic archbishop of Canterbury.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pole in a sentence
When that wind hits our planet's magnetic shield, it’s attracted to the poles, which excites the gases in our atmosphere.
The aurora borealis skipped this Alaska photography class. But some swinging light cords saved the night. | Bailey Berg | February 26, 2021 | Washington PostThe sun rotates faster at its equator than at its poles, and since it’s not a solid sphere, its magnetic field constantly roils and swirls around.
Solar storms can wreak havoc. We need better space weather forecasts | Ramin Skibba | February 26, 2021 | Science NewsI also remember seeing teams of people walking the streets at all hours wiping down poles and cleaning public benches.
Why are we still disinfecting surfaces to stop COVID-19? | By Hassan Vally/The Conversation | February 24, 2021 | Popular-ScienceMost of the time, the poles stay relatively in the same place, but when they go for a large wander away from their normal spot, it’s called an excursion.
A geomagnetic curveball 42,000 years ago changed our planet forever | Sara Kiley Watson | February 24, 2021 | Popular-ScienceThey further suggest that, as the Earth continues to warm from rising levels of greenhouse gases, this process could be a major new mechanism for accelerating the loss of sea ice at the poles — one that no global climate model currently incorporates.
Cloud-Making Aerosol Could Devastate Polar Sea Ice | Max Kozlov | February 23, 2021 | Quanta Magazine
Occasionally a pamphlet for a salsa class might be tossed on a doorstop or stuck on a pole near a bus stop.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread | IranWire | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTWorld GDP (including North pole toyshop gross output) is $84.97 trillion.
It seems to me that both sides need to move toward the “staying connected” pole.
Both political parties, and the President, have moved too close to the “standing alone” pole.
“The street pole that tells a wonderful story,” Maria told the assemblage.
How Brooklyn’s First Ice Cream Girl Fought City Hall–and Won | Michael Daly | October 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTKnowing by experience that he would soon be up to it, he used his pole with all his might, hoping to steer clear of it.
The Giant of the North | R.M. BallantyneEdmund de la pole, earl of Suffolk, on account of his near relationship to the house of York, beheaded.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellThen, having shot nothing that day, he turned towards the pole with a feeling of disappointment.
The Giant of the North | R.M. BallantyneTruly it was a most enjoyable season and experience, but there is no joy without its alley here below—not even at the North pole!
The Giant of the North | R.M. BallantyneThe French navigator, De Pages, passed the 81st degree of north latitude, in an attempt to reach the pole.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
British Dictionary definitions for pole (1 of 4)
/ (pəʊl) /
a long slender usually round piece of wood, metal, or other material
the piece of timber on each side of which a pair of carriage horses are hitched
another name for rod (def. 7)
horse racing, mainly US and Canadian
the inside lane of a racecourse
(as modifier): the pole position
one of a number of markers placed at intervals of one sixteenth of a mile along the side of a racecourse
nautical
any light spar
the part of a mast between the head and the attachment of the uppermost shrouds
under bare poles nautical (of a sailing vessel) with no sails set
up the pole British, Australian and NZ informal
slightly mad
mistaken; on the wrong track
(tr) to strike or push with a pole
(tr)
to set out (an area of land or garden) with poles
to support (a crop, such as hops or beans) on poles
(tr) to deoxidize (a molten metal, esp copper) by stirring it with green wood
to punt (a boat)
Origin of pole
1British Dictionary definitions for pole (2 of 4)
/ (pəʊl) /
either of the two antipodal points where the earth's axis of rotation meets the earth's surface: See also North Pole, South Pole
astronomy short for celestial pole
physics
either of the two regions at the extremities of a magnet to which the lines of force converge or from which they diverge
either of two points or regions in a piece of material, system, etc, at which there are opposite electric charges, as at the two terminals of a battery
maths an isolated singularity of an analytical function
biology
either end of the axis of a cell, spore, ovum, or similar body
either end of the spindle formed during the metaphase of mitosis and meiosis
physiol the point on a neuron from which the axon or dendrites project from the cell body
either of two mutually exclusive or opposite actions, opinions, etc
geometry the origin in a system of polar or spherical coordinates
any fixed point of reference
poles apart or poles asunder having widely divergent opinions, tastes, etc
from pole to pole throughout the entire world
Origin of pole
2British Dictionary definitions for Pole (3 of 4)
/ (pəʊl) /
a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Poland or a speaker of Polish
British Dictionary definitions for Pole (4 of 4)
/ (pəʊl) /
Reginald. 1500–58, English cardinal; last Roman Catholic archbishop of Canterbury (1556–58)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for pole
[ pōl ]
Either of the points at which an axis that passes through the center of a sphere intersects the surface of the sphere.
The fixed point used as a reference in a system of polar coordinates. It corresponds to the origin in the Cartesian coordinate system.
Geography Either of the points at which the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface; the North Pole or South Pole.
Either of the two similar points on another planet.
Physics A magnetic pole.
Electricity Either of two oppositely charged terminals, such as the two electrodes of an electrolytic cell or the electric terminals of a battery.
Either of the two points at the extremities of the axis of an organ or body.
Either end of the spindle formed in a cell during mitosis.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with pole
see low man on the totem pole; not touch with a ten-foot pole.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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