Pole

Pole is a long, slender cylindrical object, typically made of wood, metal, or composites. It is used to support, elevate, or transmit force, and is common in construction, transportation, and everyday devices. Poles vary in length and stiffness, from short curtain rods to tall utility poles and flagpoles. They may be hollow or solid and are designed to withstand bending and compression.

In geography and astronomy, pole denotes either end of the planet’s axis or related reference points. The geographic North Pole and South Pole lie on the Earth's axis. Magnetic poles refer to the ends of the planet’s magnetic field, which may differ from the geographic poles. Celestial poles, such as the north celestial pole, define a reference direction for the sky.

When capitalized as Pole, the term can refer to a person from Poland; the plural form is Poles. The word also appears in many compound terms (for example, pole vault, antenna pole, or electrical pole).

In mathematics, a pole is a type of singularity of a function in complex analysis where the function diverges to infinity near a point. The order of a pole measures how quickly the divergence occurs, and the residue at a pole is used in contour integration.