flagpole
Americannoun
noun
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a pole or staff on which a flag is hoisted and displayed
-
to pursue a tentative course of action in order to gauge the reaction it receives
Etymology
Origin of flagpole
Explanation
A flagpole is a long bar that holds a cloth banner representing a country, state, school, or team. If you want to fly the Stars and Stripes on the Fourth of July, you'll need a flagpole! The word flagpole is pretty straightforward; it's a pole that supports a flag at the end of it. The flagpole on your grandparents' front porch might be five feet long and made of wood, while the aluminum flagpole in front of your school could be 30 feet tall. Before the Great Depression in the 1920s, flagpole-sitting (climbing to the top of a flagpole and staying there as long as possible) briefly became a popular fad.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nearby, a municipal flagpole is rusted, palm trees are dead, handrails are covered with stickers and a sign establishing a “Special Enforcement and Cleaning Zone” is covered with grime and graffiti.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
Bavarian comedian Maxi Schafroth, 41, attempted to run up the Stars and Stripes on a flagpole near the cultural centre in Nuuk, before he was confronted by angry passers-by.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Within a few minutes, I spotted another police car, which drove slowly around the flagpole at the entrance, then left.
From Slate • Jun. 19, 2025
For buildings with more than one flagpole, the government guidance says the union jack should always be flown in the "superior position" for example on the highest flagpole or in the centre.
From BBC • May 16, 2025
Turning to Addie, he says, “I put a note in his locker that says, ‘The person who likes you will be waiting by the flagpole at three-fifteen.’”
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
