Pylons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Tall vertical structures that support various overhead elements such as cables or lines
2. Vertical frameworks used in construction to guide or control traffic flow and to indicate direction
3. High towers designed to hold power lines or communication cables above the ground ; structures placed along roads to direct vehicles or warn drivers ; upright elements in buildings acting as supports or entrances

Etymology: Long before it described steel towers striding across the countryside, this word meant a gateway. In ancient Greek, "pylōn" referred to a gate or gateway, a derivative of "pylē," meaning gate. Egyptian temples gave the idea its most famous form: massive, sloping gateway structures flanking the entrance to a temple or palace, which later writers borrowed the Greek name to describe. From that gateway sense, the word spread to other upright structures. Its use for the tall steel lattice towers that carry electricity cables across landscapes likely reflects their gate-like shape, with two uprights framing the path that the lines pass through. The same idea of an upright marker explains the sense of pylons on roads, which are small pillars that guide drivers or warn them of hazards.

Synonyms: supports, columns