pole
UK[pəʊl]US[poʊl]
n
A long, thin, rounded piece of wood or metal, used as a support.
n
Either of the two points at the opposite ends of a planet's axis of rotation.
n
Either of two directly opposite points or regions, such as the ends of a magnet or the terminals of an electric battery.
n
Either of two opposing or contrasting principles or ideas.
Etymology
The word 'pole' entered English in the late Old English period from the Latin 'palus', meaning a stake or post driven into the ground. This Latin term is of obscure, possibly pre-Latin (Etruscan) origin, making its deeper roots uncertain. The astronomical and geographical sense, referring to the extremities of the Earth's axis, emerged in the 14th century by analogy to the pivotal point of a rotating sphere. From this pivotal concept, the term was further abstracted in the 18th century to describe the opposite ends of a magnet and, metaphorically, any pair of diametrically opposed principles or forces, completing its journey from a physical stake to a point of extreme conceptual opposition.
Analysis
The word 'pole' is a simplex word. It is a direct borrowing from Latin 'palus' meaning "stake, post", which is of uncertain, possibly Etruscan, origin. It functions as a single, unanalyzable unit in modern English.
Examples
The flag was raised to the top of the pole.
The expedition aimed to reach the North Pole.
Their political views are at opposite poles.