flagpole

[ flag-pohl ]

noun

1. a staff or pole on which a flag is or can be displayed.

flagpole

/ ˈflæɡˌstɑːf; ˈflæɡˌpəʊl /

noun

1. a pole or staff on which a flag is hoisted and displayed
2. run something up the flagpole
   to pursue a tentative course of action in order to gauge the reaction it receives

Word History and Origins

Origin of flagpole¹

First recorded in 1880–85; flag ¹ + pole ¹

Example Sentences

By about 1:45 a.m., several mobile response squads waded into the melee to try to separate protesters and counterprotesters who’d converged near a flagpole.

From Los Angeles Times

The Camping World flagpole is 130 feet tall.

From Los Angeles Times

Someone tried to drag him into the mob and beat him with an American flag still attached to a flagpole, he said.

From Seattle Times

Last year, some county lifeguard stations didn’t fly the Pride flags because they didn’t have the right flagpoles to hold both that flag and the U.S. flag, according to the lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, Scott Slater Jr. threw a flagpole and an “Area Closed” sign at officers, investigators said.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• beam
• leg
• mast
• rod
• stick