pylon

noun

py·​lon ˈpī-ˌlän 

-lən

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

: traffic cone

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

Illustration of pylon

• pylon 1b

Examples of pylon in a Sentence

The bridge is supported by concrete pylons.

a row of electricity pylons

Recent Examples on the Web

Imagining an eternity of this, Creasy disables his car’s braking system and drives into a concrete pylon. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026

Built in the 1920s and early 1930s, its historical elements will be restored, including the balustrade railing, the preservation of pylons, towers, and arches, and the refurbishment of the historic light poles of all five bridges, plus the Waverly Dr Bridge over Hyperion Ave. —Julie Sharp, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

External pylons give it more flexibility to carry those weapons. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 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

Word History

Etymology

Greek pylōn, from pylē gate

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for pylon

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids 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

Medical Definition

pylon

noun

py·​lon ˈpī-ˌlän  -lən 

: a simple temporary artificial leg