POLE, n. [L. palus. See Pale.]

1. A long slender piece of wood, or the stem of a small tree deprived of its branches. Thus seamen use poles for setting or driving boats in shallow water; the stems of small trees are used for hoops and called hoop-poles; the stems of small, but tall straight trees, are used as poles for supporting the scaffolding in building.2. A rod; a perch; a measure of length of five yards and a half.[In New England, rod is generally used.]3. An instrument for measuring.

Bare poles. A ship is under bare poles, when her sails are all furled.

POLE, n. [L. polus; Gr. to turn.]

1. In astronomy, one of the extremities of the axis on which the sphere revolves. These two points are called the poles of the world.2. In spherics, a point equally distant from every part of the circumference of a great circle of the sphere; or it is a point 90 deg. distant from the plane of a circle, and in a line passing perpendicularly through the center, called the axis. Thus the zenith and nadir are the poles of the horizon.3. In geography, the extremity of the earth's axis, or one of the points on the surface of our globe through which the axis passes.4. The star which is vertical to the pole of the earth; the pole-star.

Poles of the ecliptic, are two points on the surface of the sphere, 23 deg. 30' distant from the poles of the world.

Magnetic poles, two points in a lodestone, corresponding to the poles of the world; the one pointing to the north, the other to the south.

POLE, n. [from Poland.] A native of Poland.

POLE, v.t. To furnish with poles for support; as, to pole beans.

1. To bear or convey on poles; as, to pole hay into a barn.2. To impel by poles, as a boat; to push forward by the use of poles.