pole
♦ pole /p'oʊl/ (poles)
1 [N-COUNT]
A pole is a long thin piece of wood or metal, used especially for supporting things.
The truck crashed into a telegraph pole...
He reached up with a hooked pole to roll down the metal shutter.
2 [N-COUNT]
The earth's poles are the two opposite ends of its axis, its most northern and southern points.
For six months of the year, there is hardly any light at the poles.
see also North Pole, South Pole
3 [N-COUNT]
The two poles of a range of qualities, opinions, or beliefs are the completely opposite qualities, opinions, or beliefs at either end of the range.
The two politicians represent opposite poles of the political spectrum.
4 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you say that two people or things are poles apart, you mean that they have completely different beliefs, opinions, or qualities.barge pole
also bargepole
[PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that you wouldn't touch something with a barge pole, you mean that you would not want to have anything to do with it, either because you do not trust it, or because you do not like it. (BRIT INFORMAL; in AM, use wouldn't touch something with a ten-foot pole)pole danc|ing
or pole-dancing
[N-UNCOUNT]
Pole dancing is a type of entertainment in a bar or club in which a woman who is wearing very few clothes dances around a pole in a sexy way.
● pole dancer
She is a pole dancer at London's famous Spearmint Rhino club.pole po|si|tion (pole positions)
[N-UNCOUNT] also N in pl
When a racing car is in pole position, it is in front of the other cars at the start of a race.pole vault
[N-SING] the N
The pole vault is an athletics event in which athletes jump over a high bar, using a long flexible pole to help lift themselves up.pole vault|er (pole vaulters)
[N-COUNT]
A pole vaulter is an athlete who performs the pole vault.tele|graph pole (telegraph poles)
[N-COUNT]
A telegraph pole is a tall wooden pole with telephone wires attached to it, connecting several different buildings to the telephone system. (BRIT; in AM, use telephone pole)tele|phone pole (telephone poles)
[N-COUNT]
A telephone pole is a tall wooden pole with telephone wires attached to it, connecting several different buildings to the telephone system. (AM; in BRIT, use telegraph pole)to|tem pole (totem poles)
[N-COUNT]
A totem pole is a long wooden pole with symbols and pictures carved and painted on it. Totem poles are made by some Native American peoples and placed outside their homes.
1 [N-COUNT]
A pole is a long thin piece of wood or metal, used especially for supporting things.
The truck crashed into a telegraph pole...
He reached up with a hooked pole to roll down the metal shutter.
2 [N-COUNT]
The earth's poles are the two opposite ends of its axis, its most northern and southern points.
For six months of the year, there is hardly any light at the poles.
see also North Pole, South Pole
3 [N-COUNT]
The two poles of a range of qualities, opinions, or beliefs are the completely opposite qualities, opinions, or beliefs at either end of the range.
The two politicians represent opposite poles of the political spectrum.
4 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you say that two people or things are poles apart, you mean that they have completely different beliefs, opinions, or qualities.barge pole
also bargepole
[PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that you wouldn't touch something with a barge pole, you mean that you would not want to have anything to do with it, either because you do not trust it, or because you do not like it. (BRIT INFORMAL; in AM, use wouldn't touch something with a ten-foot pole)pole danc|ing
or pole-dancing
[N-UNCOUNT]
Pole dancing is a type of entertainment in a bar or club in which a woman who is wearing very few clothes dances around a pole in a sexy way.
● pole dancer
She is a pole dancer at London's famous Spearmint Rhino club.pole po|si|tion (pole positions)
[N-UNCOUNT] also N in pl
When a racing car is in pole position, it is in front of the other cars at the start of a race.pole vault
[N-SING] the N
The pole vault is an athletics event in which athletes jump over a high bar, using a long flexible pole to help lift themselves up.pole vault|er (pole vaulters)
[N-COUNT]
A pole vaulter is an athlete who performs the pole vault.tele|graph pole (telegraph poles)
[N-COUNT]
A telegraph pole is a tall wooden pole with telephone wires attached to it, connecting several different buildings to the telephone system. (BRIT; in AM, use telephone pole)tele|phone pole (telephone poles)
[N-COUNT]
A telephone pole is a tall wooden pole with telephone wires attached to it, connecting several different buildings to the telephone system. (AM; in BRIT, use telegraph pole)to|tem pole (totem poles)
[N-COUNT]
A totem pole is a long wooden pole with symbols and pictures carved and painted on it. Totem poles are made by some Native American peoples and placed outside their homes.