pylon
UK[ˈpaɪ.lɒn]US[ˈpaɪ.lɑːn]
n
a tall vertical structure, especially one used to support electrical cables or as a marker for aircraft.
n
a monumental gateway to an ancient egyptian temple, formed by two truncated pyramidal towers.
Morpheme Breakdown
pyl
on
pyl
gate
on
noun suffix
Etymology
the word pylon entered english in the 19th century, directly from the greek 'pylon', meaning 'gateway'. in ancient greek, it specifically referred to the monumental entrance of a temple, particularly the massive gateway structures seen in egyptian architecture. this literal sense of a grand, imposing gateway was later extended metaphorically in engineering to describe any tall, supportive tower structure, such as those carrying power lines or marking flight paths. the semantic shift retains the core idea of a prominent, upright marker defining a boundary or passage.
Analysis
Structure: pyl (gate) + on (noun suffix)
pyl originates from greek 'pylon', meaning 'gateway' or 'entrance'. the suffix -on is a common greek noun ending, often used to form nouns denoting a thing or place.
Examples
the helicopter flew between the high-voltage pylons.
the ancient pylons of the karnak temple complex are covered in hieroglyphs.
the race car sped past the chequered flag on the final pylon.