telephone pole

noun

1. a utility pole for supporting telephone wires.

Word History and Origins

Origin of telephone pole¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

As the fire burned through telephone poles, phone service went down.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a beautiful drive, until I saw signs hanging from fences and telephone poles that proclaimed: “Keep the sewage in Mexico. Stop the stink!”

From Los Angeles Times

Off in the distance, a fence is glimpsed, suggesting a cultivated landscape rather than a wild one, while a lone telephone pole identifies the rural location as tethered to community via modern communication.

From Los Angeles Times

The mooring lines tethered to the ocean floor are made of rope nearly thick as a telephone pole and under heavy tension.

From Seattle Times

Mom turned down our street and there she was, putting up a poster on the telephone pole in front of our house.

From Literature