dipole

American  

[dahy-pohl] / ˈdaɪˌpoʊl /

noun

1. Physics, Electricity. a pair of electric point charges or magnetic poles of equal magnitude and opposite signs, separated by an infinitesimal distance.

2. Physical Chemistry. a polar molecule.

3. Also called dipole antenna.  Radio, Television. an antenna of a transmitter or receiving set consisting of two equal rods extending in opposite direction from the connection to the lead-in wire.

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dipole British  

/ ˈdaɪˌpəʊl /

noun

1. two electric charges or magnetic poles that have equal magnitudes but opposite signs and are separated by a small distance

2. a molecule in which the centre of positive charge does not coincide with the centre of negative charge

3. Also called: dipole aerial.  a directional radio or television aerial consisting of two equal lengths of metal wire or rods, with a connecting wire fixed between them in the form of a T

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dipole Scientific  

/ dī′pōl′ /

1. A pair of electric charges or magnetic poles, of equal magnitude but of opposite sign or polarity, separated by a small distance.

2. A molecule having two such charges or poles.

3. An antenna consisting of two rods of equal length extending outward in a straight line. Dipole antennas are usually used for frequencies below 30 megahertz.

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Other Word Forms

• dipolar
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of dipole

First recorded in 1910–15; di- ¹ + pole ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dipole

Water vapor tracking simulations showed that the dipole circulation directed moist air from the midlatitude Indian Ocean toward East Antarctica and allowed more atmospheric rivers to reach the continent.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

Two years ago, Prof. Kutak and Dr. Pawel Caputa of Stockholm University introduced an updated version of the dipole model.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 5, 2026

Further tests of the generalized dipole model are expected in the coming years.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 5, 2026

Most earlier studies of superradiance assumed that light-matter coupling dominates, modeling the entire atomic group as one large "giant dipole" connected to the cavity's electromagnetic field.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025

The approved wire dipole antennas were supposed to be placed within a two-by-four-foot area on the wall—where, apparently, they did no good at all.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover