pole
long, thin support or handle
A long, straight stick made of wood, metal, or other material that is used to hold something up or to hold in your hands.
a [pole] supports [something]
- They tied the banner to a tall metal pole in front of the school.
- We used a wooden pole to hold up the corner of the tent.
- He slipped on the ice and grabbed a lamp pole to stop himself from falling.
- Each tomato plant was tied to a pole so it would grow straight.
- The skier planted his pole firmly in the snow before turning.
- She put the flag on a pole.
- We need one more pole to finish the fence.
- He held the long pole in both hands.
- The kids jumped over a pole in the park.
- There is a light on top of that pole.
North or South geographic end
One of the two very cold places at the top or bottom of the Earth, called the North Pole and the South Pole.
the [North/South] Pole
- Explorers once risked their lives to be the first to reach the North Pole.
- The ice at the poles is melting faster because of climate change.
- Very few animals can survive at the South Pole all year round.
- Satellites pass over the Earth's poles many times each day.
- Day and night can last for months at the poles.
- Santa Claus is said to live at the North Pole.
- It is very cold at the poles.
- Penguins live near the South Pole.
- The ice at the poles is getting thinner.
- Scientists study the air at the poles.
end of magnet or battery
One of the two ends of a magnet or battery, usually called positive and negative, where the magnetic or electric power is strongest.
the [positive/negative] pole of [something]
- Opposite poles of two magnets attract each other.
- Be careful to connect the positive pole of the battery to the correct terminal.
- The Earth's magnetic poles are slowly moving over time.
- The compass needle aligns itself with the planet's magnetic poles.
- This switch can reverse the poles of the power supply.
- A magnet has two poles.
- The poles of the battery must match the plus and minus signs.
- Opposite poles attract, and the same poles push away.
- He put the north pole of one magnet next to the south pole of another.
- The poles of the magnet can pick up small pieces of metal.
one of two extremes
One of two things that are very, very different or opposite from each other.
at opposite poles on [issue/topic]
- On this issue the two candidates are at opposite poles.
- Their tastes in music are at completely different poles.
- The novel explores the two poles of hope and despair.
- As managers they stand at poles: one is strict, the other very relaxed.
- These two cities represent opposite poles of urban life.
- Their ideas are at opposite poles.
- My brother and I are poles apart in personality.
- The two plans are at different poles.
- Her style is at the opposite pole from his.
- These beliefs are at the two poles of the discussion.
person from Poland
A person who comes from Poland. It is written with a capital letter: a Pole.
[a Pole] from [place]
- The author is a Pole who grew up in Warsaw.
- Many Poles moved to other European countries after 2004.
- As a Pole, she celebrates traditional Polish holidays with her family.
- The museum was full of tourists, many of them Poles.
- Two Poles and a Frenchman started the company together.
- She is a Pole from Kraków.
- I work with a Pole and a German.
- Many Poles live in this city.
- He is a Pole but now lives in London.
- My teacher is a Pole and speaks Polish and English.
move a boat with a pole
To make a boat go by pushing a long stick down into the water and against the ground under the water.
to pole [a boat] along [a river]
- They poled the small boat quietly along the shallow canal.
- The guide stood at the back and poled us through the marsh.
- With no wind for the sail, they had to pole the raft to shore.
- He learned to pole a canoe in the slow, muddy river.
- We spent the afternoon poling between the sandbanks.
- The man stood and poled the boat.
- They had to pole the raft down the river.
- He slowly poled us across the shallow water.
- The guide poled the boat through the plants.
- She learned to pole a small boat on the lake.
front starting place in race
In car or motorbike racing, the place at the very front where the fastest driver starts the race, usually called 'pole position'.
start from pole
- She took pole for Sunday's race with a record lap time.
- If he starts from pole, he has a good chance to win.
- The rookie surprised everyone by putting his car on pole.
- Rain during qualifying meant that a slower team ended up on pole.
- Starting off pole, he led into the first corner.
- He won pole for the big race.
- The fastest driver starts from pole.
- She was on pole but did not win the race.
- They hope to take pole in qualifying.
- He put his car on pole with a fast lap.
point where function blows up
In higher mathematics, a special point where a function does not have a normal value, because the function goes towards infinity there.
a pole at [x = value]
- The function has a simple pole at z = 1.
- Residues are defined only at poles of a meromorphic function.
- We classify the singularities as removable, poles, or essential.
- At each pole, the function tends to infinity in magnitude.
- This rational function's poles correspond to the zeros of its denominator.
- In this example, the function has a pole at x = 0.
- A pole is a type of singularity in complex analysis.
- The teacher drew a graph to show the pole of the function.
- They studied functions with simple poles and double poles.
- We must find all poles before we use the residue theorem.
- Base: pole
- Plural: poles
- Base: pole
- 3rd Person Singular: poles
- Present Participle: poling
- Past: poled
from pole to pole
1across the whole world
Across the whole Earth, from the very north to the very south.
- The storm affected weather patterns from pole to pole.
- Birds migrate from pole to pole in search of warmer climates.
North Pole
1Earth's northern end point
The very top of the Earth, the point farthest north on the planet.
- Many children believe Santa Claus lives at the North Pole.
- The ice around the North Pole is shrinking.
- A group of scientists will spend the winter near the North Pole.
pole position
1being in the best or first position
To be in the first or best position in a race, competition, or process, often giving you an advantage.
- Her company is in pole position to win the contract.
- With that win, he moves into pole position in the championship.
- The team hopes a new product will put them in pole position in the market.
poles apart
1completely different or opposite
To be very, very different from someone or something else.
- Although they are twins, their personalities are poles apart.
- On this question, the two parties are poles apart.
- Our ideas about education are poles apart from theirs.
South Pole
1Earth's southern end point
The very bottom of the Earth, the point farthest south on the planet.
- Reaching the South Pole was once one of the great goals of explorers.
- There is a research station near the South Pole.
- Temperatures at the South Pole can be extremely low.