pole

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

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noun

a 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).

verb (used with object), poled, pol·ing.

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.

verb (used without object), poled, pol·ing.

to propel a boat, raft, etc., with a pole: to pole down the river.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

First recorded before 1050; Middle English pol(e), polle, Old English pāl, from Latin pālus “wooden post, stake”; see pale²

OTHER WORDS FROM pole

poleless, adjectiveun·poled, adjective

Words nearby pole

polar stratospheric cloud, polar vortex, polar wander, Polatsk, polder, pole, poleax, poleaxe, pole bean, polecat, pole compass

Other definitions for pole (2 of 4)

pole²

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

noun

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.
origin (def. 6b).

Crystallography. a line perpendicular to a crystal face and passing through the crystal center.

Origin of pole

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pol(e), polus, from Latin polus, from Greek pólos “pivot, axis, pole”

Other definitions for pole (3 of 4)

Pole¹

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

noun

a native or inhabitant of Poland.

Other definitions for pole (4 of 4)

Pole²

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

noun

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. 2023

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 Post
The 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 News
I 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-Science
Most 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-Science

They 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|DAILY BEAST
World GDP (including North Pole toyshop gross output) is $84.97 trillion.
Santa Fails One More Time|P. J. O’Rourke|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seems to me that both sides need to move toward the “staying connected” pole.
Fixing a Dysfunctional Family: Congress|Gene Robinson|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Both political parties, and the President, have moved too close to the “standing alone” pole.
Fixing a Dysfunctional Family: Congress|Gene Robinson|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“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|DAILY BEAST
Knowing 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. Ballantyne
Edmund 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 Munsell
Then, having shot nothing that day, he turned towards the Pole with a feeling of disappointment.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Truly 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. Ballantyne
The 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)

pole¹

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

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

verb

(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)

Word Origin for pole

Old English pāl, from Latin pālus a stake, prop; see pale ²

British Dictionary definitions for pole (2 of 4)

pole²

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

either of the two antipodal points where the earth's axis of rotation meets the earth's surfaceSee 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

Word Origin for pole

C14: from Latin polus end of an axis, from Greek polos pivot, axis, pole; related to Greek kuklos circle

British Dictionary definitions for pole (3 of 4)

Pole¹

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Poland or a speaker of Polish

British Dictionary definitions for pole (4 of 4)

Pole²

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

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

pole

[ pōl ]

Mathematics

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.

Biology

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with pole

pole

see low man on the totem pole; not touch with a ten-foot pole.

pole

Idioms about pole

Origin of pole

OTHER WORDS FROM pole

Words nearby pole

Other definitions for pole (2 of 4)

Origin of pole

Other definitions for pole (3 of 4)

Other definitions for pole (4 of 4)

Words related to pole

How to use pole in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pole (1 of 4)

Word Origin for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (2 of 4)

Word Origin for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (3 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for pole (4 of 4)

Scientific definitions for pole

Other Idioms and Phrases with pole