pole

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

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 sq. m).

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.

Idioms for 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

before 1050; Middle English; Old English pāl < Latin pālus stake. See pale²

OTHER WORDS FROM pole

pole·less, adjective un·poled, adjective

Words nearby pole

polarograph, polarography, polaroid, polatsk, polder, pole, pole bean, pole compass, pole dancing, pole hammer, pole horse

Definition for pole (2 of 4)

pole ²

[ 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

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin polus < Greek pólos pivot, axis, pole

Definition for pole (3 of 4)

Pole ¹

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

noun

a native or inhabitant of Poland.

Definition for pole (4 of 4)

Pole ²

[ pohl ]

/ poʊl /

noun

Reginald,1500–58, English cardinal and last Roman Catholic archbishop of Canterbury.

Example sentences from the Web for pole

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
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
Gozik watched as the MPs used garrison belts to tie the condemned man to the pole.

The Last American Soldier Executed for Desertion |Michael Daly |June 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

“John Paul to a Pole is like St. Patrick to the Irish,” she said.

Onscene as Pope Francis Makes Saints of John Paul II and John XXIII |Barbie Latza Nadeau |April 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Some of the shore folk said it was icebergs that the shipmen saw; but icebergs never sailed so far from the pole, they answered.

Myths & Legends of our New Possessions & Protectorate |Charles M. Skinner
Carl had to go to the very top of the pole, and then had some difficulty in tearing her from her hold.

O Pioneers! |Willa Cather
Afterwards the chiefs told the criers to tell the people that when Pole was completed they should see it.

Myths and Legends of the Great Plains |Unknown
The passions and the heart he had found intelligible and much the same from Indus to the Pole.

It Is Never Too Late to Mend |Charles Reade
Two Crows said that the pole rested on the scalp when it was in the lodge.

Omaha sociology (1884 N 03 / 1881-1882 (pages 205-370)) |James Owen Dorsey

British Dictionary definitions for pole (1 of 4)

pole ¹

/ (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)

pole ²

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

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

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)

Pole ¹

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for pole (4 of 4)

Pole ²

/ (pəʊl) /

noun

Reginald. 1500–58, English cardinal; last Roman Catholic archbishop of Canterbury (1556–58)

Medical definitions for pole

pole

[ pōl ]

n.

Either of the two points at the extremities of the axis of an organ or body.

Either extremity of an axis through a sphere.

Either of two oppositely charged terminals, as in an electric cell.

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.

Idioms and Phrases with pole

pole

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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pole

noun

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

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

Idioms for pole

Origin of pole

OTHER WORDS FROM pole

Words nearby pole

Definition for pole (2 of 4)

noun

Origin of pole

Definition for pole (3 of 4)

noun

Definition for pole (4 of 4)

noun

Example sentences from the Web for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (1 of 4)

noun

verb

Word Origin for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (2 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (3 of 4)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for pole (4 of 4)

noun

Medical definitions for pole

n.

Scientific definitions for pole

Idioms and Phrases with pole

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pole

noun

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

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

Idioms for pole

Origin of pole

OTHER WORDS FROM pole

Words nearby pole

Definition for pole (2 of 4)

noun

Origin of pole

Definition for pole (3 of 4)

noun

Definition for pole (4 of 4)

noun

Words related to pole

Example sentences from the Web for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (1 of 4)

noun

verb

Word Origin for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (2 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for pole

British Dictionary definitions for pole (3 of 4)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for pole (4 of 4)

noun

Medical definitions for pole

n.

Scientific definitions for pole

Idioms and Phrases with pole