pole

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

Save This Word!

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

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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

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

Then point the pole spear at the target and release the shaft, causing it to shoot forward.
Take a stab at spearfishing with these tips|Same Romano/Outdoor Life|November 16, 2020|Popular-Science
Jennifer Lopez did play a thieving, revenge-minded stripper who happened to be a pole dancer, but pole dancing is deep, deep, much deeper than anyone in Hollywood is likely to give it credit for.
Know Your Flow: The Good Sh*t Guide to Pole Passions|Eugene Robinson|November 12, 2020|Ozy
Indeed, these days Pettit’s job involves finding other engineers like him, assembling the crack teams that place ice-penetrating radar and other equipment at both poles of the Earth.
What You Can Learn from Living in Antarctica - Issue 92: Frontiers|Marissa Grunes|November 11, 2020|Nautilus
Most of those efforts focused on the large craters—some as massive as the Grand Canyon—near the lunar poles, which are known to be cold enough to maintain ice.
New 3D moon models show it might hold up to 15,000 miles of frozen water|Kat Eschner|October 27, 2020|Popular-Science

Whether it’s true that long-term pole use hurts your balance remains untested.
Scientists Weigh in on the Great Trekking Pole Debate|Alex Hutchinson|October 23, 2020|Outside Online
Poling lives in the same house he grew up in which, though still unassuming from the street, is much bigger now.
Powerball Winners on Being Filthy Rich|Caitlin Dickson|November 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Suddenly, the medical bills that once plagued Poling were no longer an issue.
Powerball Winners on Being Filthy Rich|Caitlin Dickson|November 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In 1994, Bill Poling was 36, unemployed and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
Powerball Winners on Being Filthy Rich|Caitlin Dickson|November 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
What if, Poling asks, Jackson never reached the age of accountability?
Is Michael in Heaven?|Jason Boyett|July 10, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Now, for the first time, had they to take to oars and poling, the poles serving best in such shallow water.
The Vee-Boers|Mayne Reid
They would then have clear poling ahead of them next day, to get them home to the Settlement in time for supper.
The Backwoodsmen|Charles G. D. Roberts
After some time the water became too deep for poling, and the mate and the crew took to their oars.
Voyages and Travels of Count Funnibos and Baron Stilkin|William H. G. Kingston
Slow progress was made by poling along the bank out of the swiftest part of the current.
Travels in Alaska|John Muir
He was standing up in a flat-bottomed boat, poling down stream towards them, with the vigor and skill of a young Indian.
Mary Ware in Texas|Annie F. Johnston

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

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