pole
pole — noun
1. a tall narrow bar set upright to support something or show a position.
a tall narrow bar set upright to support something or show a position.
Workers planted a steel pole beside the new road sign.
steel pole beside a road sign
A bamboo pole held the bean plants above the wet soil.
pole held climbing plants
The school flag hung from a tall pole near the gate.
flag on a pole
Heavy snow bent the wooden pole carrying wires across the field.
- steel pole
- wooden pole
- flag pole
- pole carrying wires
Grammar Patterns
a wooden pole
a pole for [support/use]
on a pole
Usage Note
Often names something set upright in the ground or fixed in place. Common nouns after it include 'flag', 'wire', 'tent', and 'bean plants', depending on what the pole supports.
Common Mistakes
2. one of a pair of short sticks you carry in your hands to help you keep steady wh
one of a pair of short sticks you carry in your hands to help you keep steady while walking.
Mina adjusted her walking poles before climbing the steep path.
often plural: walking poles
Ken pressed each pole into the snow for support on the hill.
The guide lent Rosa a pole for the rocky trail.
lend someone a pole
With both poles, Dad kept his balance on the muddy slope.
with both poles
- walking poles
- trekking poles
- use a pole for support
- with both poles
- walking stick
usually one stick rather than a pair
- trekking pole
common term for hiking equipment
- hiking pole
everyday outdoor-use label
Grammar Patterns
walking poles
use a pole for support
with both poles
Usage Note
Most often used in the plural because people normally use one in each hand. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about a long support or upright object rather than equipment for walking.
Common Mistakes
3. one of the upright markers placed at set distances around a race track.
one of the upright markers placed at set distances around a race track.
The horse pulled ahead as it passed the third distance pole.
at the third pole
Jockey Lee waited until the last pole on the track, then moved outside.
before the last pole
Rain made the white poles hard to see from the far turn.
Officials repainted the half-mile pole before spring racing opened.
half-mile distance pole
- third pole
- last pole
- white poles
- repaint the poles
- marker
general word; less specific to racing
- post
another physical marker word, though not always a race-distance marker
- distance marker
clearer modern paraphrase rather than a fixed race term
Grammar Patterns
at the third pole
pass the final pole
Usage Note
Used in racing to mark distance around the course, especially in horse racing. It is usually counted by order, as in 'the third pole' or 'the final pole'.
4. the point at either end of Earth's axis, as in the North Pole or South Pole.
the point at either end of Earth's axis, as in the North Pole or South Pole.
Few people live near the North Pole all year round.
fixed name: the North Pole
Scientists drilled ice near the South Pole last summer.
fixed name: the South Pole
A classroom globe shows both poles at opposite ends.
both poles
Near each pole, winter darkness can last for many weeks.
- the North Pole
- the South Pole
- near the pole
- both poles
- polar end
technical paraphrase, not the usual everyday term
- polar point
describes the location but is less standard as a name
- equator
the line halfway between the two poles
Grammar Patterns
the North Pole
the South Pole
near the pole
Usage Note
Usually appears in the fixed names 'the North Pole' and 'the South Pole'. Distinguish from senses 5 and 6, which are technical ends of a magnet or battery rather than places on Earth.
Common Mistakes
5. the north or south side of a magnet, with the strongest magnetic effect.
the north or south side of a magnet, with the strongest magnetic effect.
The north pole of the magnet snapped to the fridge door.
north pole of a magnet
Two south poles pushed each other away on the science table.
two south poles repel
Ms Chen marked the north and south poles on each magnet.
The toy magnet still had one pole strong enough to pull nails.
magnetic pole
- north pole of a magnet
- south pole of a magnet
- magnetic pole
- mark each pole
- magnetic pole
the standard full term in science
- north end
informal when the north side is meant
- south end
informal when the south side is meant
- opposite pole
the other magnetic end, which attracts rather than matches it
Grammar Patterns
north pole of a magnet
south pole of a magnet
Usage Note
Usually appears with 'north' or 'south' and with nouns such as 'magnet' or 'magnetic field'. Distinguish from sense 6, where a battery uses positive and negative poles instead.
Common Mistakes
6. either point on a battery where a wire is attached so electricity can enter or l
either point on a battery where a wire is attached so electricity can enter or leave.
Luis clipped the red wire to the positive pole first.
positive pole
The lamp failed because one pole on the battery was dirty.
Check both poles before putting the batteries into the toy.
check both poles
A small spark jumped when the metal touched the negative pole.
negative pole
- positive pole
- negative pole
- battery pole
- connect the wire to the pole
- terminal
the most common technical word in electronics
- contact
can mean the metal point that touches another part
- connection point
plain-language explanation rather than a fixed technical term
- opposite pole
the other battery end with the opposite charge
Grammar Patterns
positive pole
negative pole
connect a wire to [pole]
Usage Note
Most often appears with 'positive' or 'negative' in electrical contexts. Distinguish from sense 5, where the matching words are 'north' and 'south' because the object is a magnet, not a battery.
Common Mistakes
7. in geometry, either of two opposite points on a ball shape tied to a circle on i
in geometry, either of two opposite points on a ball shape tied to a circle on its surface.
On the globe, Ms Chen drew a blue ring and marked the pole above it.
circle on a sphere and its pole
When the ring was drawn around the globe, two poles appeared above and below it.
typical pattern: two poles
In the diagram, the pole sat above the small circle on the ball.
pole above a circle on a ball
Each circle on the ball has two poles, one above and one below.
- pole of a circle
- two poles
- on the sphere
- spherical pole
full technical term for this geometry sense
- pole point
used in some maths explanations for the same idea
Grammar Patterns
the pole of a circle
two poles on a sphere
Usage Note
Technical geometry vocabulary. It is usually explained together with a named circle on a sphere, not used for everyday physical poles.
8. in mathematics, a fixed point used as the starting point for measuring other poi
in mathematics, a fixed point used as the starting point for measuring other points.
On the polar graph, every distance was measured from the pole.
polar graph: measured from the pole
Professor Lin used the grid center as the pole on the polar chart.
grid center used as the pole
On the math chart, the point lay two units from the pole.
distance from the pole on a chart
In polar coordinates, the robot's path started at the pole.
grammar pattern: at the pole
- measure from the pole
- pole of the graph
- polar coordinates
- origin
the usual term in coordinate systems, especially graphs
- reference point
broader and less technical
- fixed point
general term; not limited to polar systems
Grammar Patterns
measure from the pole
the pole in polar coordinates
Usage Note
Most often seen in geometry or graphing contexts. Distinguish from sense 7: this sense is a chosen reference point, not one of two opposite points on a sphere.
9. one of two far ends in a pair of ideas, feelings, or qualities that are complete
one of two far ends in a pair of ideas, feelings, or qualities that are completely different from each other.
On school uniforms, the two parents stood at opposite poles.
fixed phrase: at opposite poles
Mina loves city life, but her brother stands at the opposite pole.
opposite pole
At the town meeting, speakers pulled the debate toward the poles of safety and freedom.
At dinner, Maya and her father were at opposite poles about buying a new car.
- at opposite poles
- the other pole
- between two poles
Grammar Patterns
at opposite poles
the other pole
Usage Note
Usually plural when two extremes are being compared. Distinguish from the physical and scientific senses, where the word names an actual point or object.
Common Mistakes
10. the front starting spot in a motor race, given to the driver with the fastest la
the front starting spot in a motor race, given to the driver with the fastest lap before the race.
Rossi won pole after the fastest lap on Saturday afternoon.
sports pattern: win pole
The blue car started from pole and led the first corner.
sports pattern: start from pole
Rain helped Aya take pole when the track became slippery.
Fans cheered as Kim secured pole for the Silverstone race.
- win pole
- take pole
- start from pole
- secure pole
- pole position
the full formal term
- front-row start
broader, since it can include positions other than pole
- back of the grid
a poor starting position far from the front
Grammar Patterns
win pole
take pole
start from pole
Usage Note
Common in motorsport reporting as a short form of 'pole position'. It usually follows verbs like 'win', 'take', or 'start from'.
Common Mistakes
11. an old measuring unit equal to 16.5 feet, or the area of a square with sides of
an old measuring unit equal to 16.5 feet, or the area of a square with sides of that length.
The old map says the field is forty poles long.
measurement pattern: [number] poles long
A clerk measured the sheep field in poles and acres.
historical land measure
The survey book listed the garden as six square poles.
square poles for area
The surveyor marked off one pole along the hedge before turning.
measure off one pole
- forty poles long
- measure in poles
- square poles
Grammar Patterns
forty poles long
square poles
Usage Note
Mostly found in old land records or historical writing. Distinguish from the everyday sense of a long stick in noun sense 1.
Common Mistakes
12. someone from Poland, or a person whose family background is Polish.
someone from Poland, or a person whose family background is Polish.
Anna married a Pole she met while studying in Warsaw.
grammar pattern: a Pole
The museum guide is a Pole who moved to Taipei in 2018.
Evan's grandmother was a Pole, but he grew up in Canada.
At the food fair, one Pole taught us a folk dance.
countable nationality noun
- a Pole
- marry a Pole
- Poles living abroad
- Polish person
clear descriptive phrase in neutral use
- Polish national
more formal, often used in official contexts
Grammar Patterns
a Pole
Poles living abroad
Usage Note
Write it with a capital letter. The adjective is 'Polish', but the noun for the person is 'Pole'.
Common Mistakes
be poles apart
idiomTwo people or groups are completely different from each other and have nothing in common.
Maya and her brother are poles apart in their taste in music.
The two political parties remain poles apart on environmental issues.
the greasy pole
idiomA difficult path to success in a career, especially in politics or business.
Climbing the greasy pole in corporate law requires long hours and luck.
Many young politicians try to climb the greasy pole but few succeed.
To completely avoid getting involved with someone or something because you think they are bad or dangerous.
I wouldn't touch that investment with a ten-foot pole.
Sara refused to touch the abandoned building with a ten-foot pole.
up the pole
idiomBehaving in a crazy or foolish way.
After working all night, Brian started acting up the pole.
Did you hear what he said? He must be up the pole.
Word family
- polaradjectiveB2
- polaritynounC1
- polarizeverbC1
- polarizedadjectiveC1
- polarizationnounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For noun sense 1, pole is the broad everyday word for a long narrow piece set upright to hold, carry, or show something. Post is close, but it is usually thicker and more firmly fixed in the ground, especially in fences, gates, and signs. Rod often focuses on shape rather than support, and it may describe a straight metal piece that does not stand upright at all. Stake is usually shorter, pointed, and pushed into soil for marking ground or tying plants. Mast is the most specialized choice, mainly for ships, boats, or tall structures carrying sails or signals. You tie tomatoes to stakes, stretch wire between posts, and raise a flag on a pole.
Etymology
Modern English pole brings together more than one historical word. The scientific and figurative senses about Earth's ends, magnetism, geometry, and opposite extremes came through French and Latin from Greek polos, meaning an axis or pivot. The long upright stick or support sense is from a different line, from Latin palus, meaning 'stake', through early English. The national noun meaning a person from Poland is a later use built from the country name Poland. So one modern spelling now covers several sense families that did not all begin as the same word.