pole

poles; poling; poled

A pole is a rounded stick or rod, usually made of wood, plastic, or metal. You need a pole for hanging a flag, catching fish, or setting up a tent.

There are many kinds of poles, from the poles skiers use to balance and push themselves forward to the long, flexible pole a pole vaulter uses to help her jump over a high bar. When someone mentions the North or South Pole, they mean the points on either side of the Earth that mark the ends of its axis of rotation. This kind of pole comes from the Latin polus, "end of an axis" or "the heavens."

Definitions of pole
  1. noun
    a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 16 types...
    hide 16 types...
    barge pole
    a long pole used to propel or guide a barge
    boom, microphone boom
    a pole carrying an overhead microphone projected over a film or tv set
    caber
    a heavy wooden pole (such as the trunk of a young fir) that is tossed as a test of strength (in the Highlands of northern Scotland)
    clothes tree, coat stand, coat tree
    an upright pole with pegs or hooks on which to hang clothing
    mast
    any sturdy upright pole
    ski pole
    a pole with metal points used as an aid in skiing
    spar
    a stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging
    stilt
    one of two stout poles with foot rests in the middle; used for walking high above the ground
    boom
    any of various more-or-less horizontal spars or poles used to extend the foot of a sail or for handling cargo or in mooring
    bowsprit
    a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel
    dolphin striker, martingale
    spar under the bowsprit of a sailboat
    gaff
    a spar rising aft from a mast to support the head of a quadrilateral fore-and-aft sail
    jibboom
    a spar that extends the bowsprit
    mast
    a vertical spar for supporting sails
    sprit
    a light spar that crosses a fore-and-aft sail diagonally
    yard
    a long horizontal spar tapered at the end and used to support and spread a square sail or lateen
    type of:
    rod
    a long thin implement made of metal or wood
  2. noun
    a long fiberglass sports implement used for pole vaulting
    see moresee less
    type of:
    sports implement
    an implement used in a sport
  3. verb
    propel with a pole
    “pole barges on the river”
    synonyms: punt
    see moresee less
    type of:
    impel, propel
    cause to move forward with force
  4. verb
    support on poles
    “pole climbing plants like beans”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    hold, hold up, support, sustain
    be the physical support of; carry the weight of
  5. verb
    deoxidize molten metals by stirring them with a wooden pole
    see moresee less
    type of:
    deoxidise, deoxidize, reduce
    to remove oxygen from a compound, or cause to react with hydrogen or form a hydride, or to undergo an increase in the number of electrons
  6. noun
    one of two points of intersection of the Earth's axis and the celestial sphere
    synonyms: celestial pole
    see moresee less
    examples:
    north celestial pole
    the celestial pole above the northern hemisphere; near Polaris
    south celestial pole
    the celestial pole above the southern hemisphere
    type of:
    celestial point
    a point in the heavens (on the celestial sphere)
  7. noun
    one of two antipodal points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface
    see moresee less
    examples:
    North Pole
    the northernmost point of the Earth's axis
    South Pole
    the southernmost point of the Earth's axis
    type of:
    geographic point, geographical point
    a point on the surface of the Earth
  8. noun
    one of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetism seems to be concentrated
    synonyms: magnetic pole
    see moresee less
    types:
    negative magnetic pole, negative pole, south-seeking pole
    the pole of a magnet that points toward the south when the magnet is suspended freely
    north-seeking pole, positive magnetic pole, positive pole
    the pole of a magnet that points toward the north when the magnet is suspended freely
    type of:
    end, terminal
    either extremity of something that has length
  9. noun
    a contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves
    synonyms: terminal
    see moresee less
    types:
    anode
    the negatively charged terminal of a voltaic cell or storage battery that supplies current
    negative pole
    the terminal of a battery that is connected to the negative plate
    positive pole
    the terminal of a battery that is connected to the positive plate
    type of:
    contact, tangency
    (electronics) a junction where things (as two electrical conductors) touch or are in physical contact
  10. noun
    one of two divergent or mutually exclusive opinions
    “they are at opposite poles”
    “they are poles apart”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    opinion, persuasion, reckoning, sentiment, thought, view
    a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
  11. noun
    a linear measure of 16.5 feet
    synonyms: perch, rod
    see moresee less
    type of:
    linear measure, linear unit
    a unit of measurement of length
  12. noun
    a square rod of land
    synonyms: perch, rod
    see moresee less
    type of:
    area unit, square measure
    a system of units used to measure areas
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘pole'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing pole

Physical Science: Waves, Electricity, and Magnetism

Over The Moon: Planetary Vocabulary

Planets and their moons have complex relationships as they spin through space around the sun. These words describe their motions and relationships, and will help you understand the gravity of the situation.

Earth Science - Introductory

Earth science will be a breeze once you master these essential terms. This comprehensive vocabulary list covers core topics like weather and climate, natural disasters, ecology and conservation, plate tectonics, types of rock, oceanography, and more. Best of all, you can mine this list again and again — it's a renewable resource.

MORE VOCABULARY LISTS
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Look up pole for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.

Start your vocabulary training
VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer