pylon

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A tall, usually metal tower that holds up high-voltage electric power lines.

   Grammar: Countable: one pylon, two pylons.

   Patterns

   • a pylon carries something
   • a line of pylons

   The new power line will need about forty pylons across the valley.

   Engineers climbed the pylon to check the cables after the storm.

   From the hill you can see a row of pylons marching toward the city.

2. 2nouncountable

   A cone-shaped marker used to guide traffic or show a course on a road or racetrack.

   Grammar: Countable; often plural in driving and racing contexts.

   Patterns

   • hit a pylon
   • between the pylons

   The driver knocked over a pylon and had to repeat the test.

   Workers placed orange pylons around the hole in the road.

   The skier passed between the pylons in less than a minute.

3. 3nouncountablespecialist

   One of a pair of massive stone gateways at the entrance of an ancient Egyptian temple.

   Grammar: Countable and usually plural when talking about the two sides of a gateway.

   Patterns

   • the temple pylon
   • the pylons of a temple

   Tourists walked through the huge pylon into the temple courtyard.

   The pylon is carved with scenes of the pharaoh defeating his enemies.

Word forms

Common combinations

electricity pylon

The electricity pylon hummed in the wind.

a line of pylons

A line of pylons crosses the fields toward the coast.

traffic pylon

He swerved to avoid a traffic pylon on the road.

pylon cables

The pylon cables sagged under the weight of ice.

Synonyms and how they differ

tower

A general word for any tall structure; a pylon is a specific kind that supports power lines or marks a course.

mast

A tall pole that holds antennas or flags; a pylon is broader and usually made of steel lattice.

Commonly confused: pylon or pilot?

Practice

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