utility pole

plural utility poles

1. A tall cylinder, often made from the trunk of a tree, usually topped by a cross beam, used by a public utility to carry wire, cable or conduit through the air, for the transportation of electricity, cable television, telephone or similar services.

   A utility pole shone yellow like a sick bruise high up over them.

   2023, Brandon Taylor, The Late Americans, Jonathan Cape, page 34

   1 more example

   The Super Bowl rendition began with workers falling from utility poles in a flash of sparks, a nod to the blackouts that crippled the U.S. territory for several months following Hurricane Maria in 2017. […] In one segment, Bad Bunny performed “El Apagón” atop a replica utility pole.

   2026 February 9, Jon Caramanica, “Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Review: A History Lesson Full of Puerto Rican Pride”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 09 Feb 2026

   Synonyms: telegraph pole, telephone pole, hydro pole