Illustration of pylon
- pylon 1b
1
a
: a usually massive gateway
b
: an ancient Egyptian gateway building in a truncated pyramidal form
c
: a monumental mass flanking an entranceway or an approach to a bridge
2
a
chiefly British : a tower for supporting either end of usually a number of wires over a long span
b
: any of various towerlike structures
3
a
: a post or tower marking a prescribed course of flight for an airplane
b
c
: one of the flexible upright markers positioned on a football field at the corners of the end zone
4
: a rigid structure on the outside of an aircraft for supporting something (such as an engine or missile)
see airplane illustration
Examples of pylon in a Sentence
The bridge is supported by concrete pylons. a row of electricity pylons
Recent Examples on the Web
This approach removes the need for bomb bays or underwing pylons. —
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026 The towering pylon's entire facade lights up with colored LEDs that change according to the time of day, as well as the seasons. —New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026 Edgerton also convinced the pair to rename their fledgling chain Insta-Burger King, reinforcing the feigned royalty with a pylon sign showing a smiling, crowned monarch seated on a giant hamburger bun, a huge fountain drink in hand. —Steve Patterson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Gone is the entry pylon at the south end of the park, a sculpture that played a much-too-obscure ceremonial role and not much else. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pylon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026 The towering pylon's entire facade lights up with colored LEDs that change according to the time of day, as well as the seasons. —New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026 Edgerton also convinced the pair to rename their fledgling chain Insta-Burger King, reinforcing the feigned royalty with a pylon sign showing a smiling, crowned monarch seated on a giant hamburger bun, a huge fountain drink in hand. —Steve Patterson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Gone is the entry pylon at the south end of the park, a sculpture that played a much-too-obscure ceremonial role and not much else. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pylon
Cite this Entry
“Pylon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/pylon. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pylon
noun
py·lon ˈpī-ˌlän 
-lən
1
: a tower for supporting a long span of wire
also : any of various structures like a tower
2
: a post or tower marking a prescribed course of flight for an airplane
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