Pole vs. Plank — What's the Difference?

Either extremity of an axis through a sphere.

A piece of lumber cut thicker than a board.

Either of the regions contiguous to the extremities of the earth's rotational axis, the North Pole or the South Pole.

Such pieces of lumber considered as a group; planking.

(Physics) See magnetic pole.

A foundation; a support.

(Electricity) Either of two oppositely charged terminals, as in an electric cell or battery.

One of the articles of a political platform.

(Astronomy) See celestial pole.

To furnish or cover with planks

Either extremity of the main axis of a nucleus, cell, or organism.

To bake or broil and serve (fish or meat) on a plank

Either end of the spindle formed in a cell during mitosis.

To put or set down emphatically or with force.

The point on a nerve cell where a process originates.

A long, broad and thick piece of timber, as opposed to a board which is less thick.

Either of two antithetical ideas, propensities, forces, or positions.

(figurative) A political issue that is of concern to a faction or a party of the people and the political position that is taken on that issue.

A fixed point of reference.

Physical exercise in which one holds a pushup position for a measured length of time.

The origin in a polar coordinate system; the vertex of a polar angle.

A stupid person, idiot.

A point in the complex plane at which a given function is not defined.

That which supports or upholds.

A long, relatively slender, generally rounded piece of wood or other material.

(transitive) To cover something with planking.

The long tapering wooden shaft extending up from the front axle of a vehicle to the collars of the animals drawing it; a tongue.

(transitive) To bake (fish, etc.) on a piece of cedar lumber.

See rod.

To lay down, as on a plank or table; to stake or pay cash.

A unit of area equal to a square rod.

(transitive) To harden, as hat bodies, by felting.

(Sports) The inside position on the starting line of a racetrack

To splice together the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing.

A native or inhabitant of Poland.

(intransitive) To pose for a photograph while lying rigid, face down, arms at side, in an unusual place.

A person of Polish ancestry.

A broad piece of sawed timber, differing from a board only in being thicker. See Board.

To propel with a pole

Fig.: That which supports or upholds, as a board does a swimmer.

To propel (oneself) or make (one's way) by the use of ski poles

One of the separate articles in a declaration of the principles of a party or cause; as, a plank in the national platform.

To support (plants) with a pole.

To cover or lay with planks; as, to plank a floor or a ship.

To strike, poke, or stir with a pole.

To lay down, as on a plank or table; to stake or pay cash; as, to plank money in a wager.

To propel a boat or raft with a pole.

To harden, as hat bodies, by felting.

To use ski poles to maintain or gain speed.

To splice together the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing.

Originally, a stick; now specifically, a long and slender piece of metal or (especially) wood, used for various construction or support purposes.

A stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes

A construction by which an animal is harnessed to a carriage.

An endorsed policy in the platform of a political party

(angling) A type of basic fishing rod.

Cover with planks;

A long sports implement used for pole-vaulting; now made of glassfiber or carbon fiber, formerly also metal, bamboo and wood have been used.

Set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise;

A telescope used to identify birds, aeroplanes or wildlife.

Cook and serve on a plank;

(historical) A unit of length, equal to a rod (4 chain or 2 yards).

(motor racing) Pole position.

A gun.

(vulgar) A penis

Either of the two points on the earth's surface around which it rotates; also, similar points on any other rotating object.

A point of magnetic focus, especially each of the two opposing such points of a magnet (designated north and south).

(geometry) A fixed point relative to other points or lines.

(electricity) A contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves.

(complex analysis) For a meromorphic function $f(z)$, any point $a$ for which $f(z)\; \backslash rightarrow\; \backslash infty$ as $z\; \backslash rightarrow\; a$.

(obsolete) The firmament; the sky.

Either of the states that characterize a bipolar disorder.

To propel by pushing with poles, to push with a pole.

To identify something quite precisely using a telescope.

(transitive) To furnish with poles for support.

(transitive) To convey on poles.

(transitive) To stir, as molten glass, with a pole.

To strike (the ball) very hard.

(transitive) To induce piezoelectricity in (a substance) by aligning the dipoles.

A native or inhabitant of Poland; a Polander.

A long, slender piece of wood; a tall, slender piece of timber; the stem of a small tree whose branches have been removed; as, specifically: (a) A carriage pole, a wooden bar extending from the front axle of a carriage between the wheel horses, by which the carriage is guided and held back. (b) A flag pole, a pole on which a flag is supported. (c) A Maypole. See Maypole. (d) A barber's pole, a pole painted in stripes, used as a sign by barbers and hairdressers. (e) A pole on which climbing beans, hops, or other vines, are trained.

A measuring stick; also, a measure of length equal to 5 yards, or a square measure equal to 30 square yards; a rod; a perch.

Either extremity of an axis of a sphere; especially, one of the extremities of the earth's axis; as, the north pole.

A point upon the surface of a sphere equally distant from every part of the circumference of a great circle; or the point in which a diameter of the sphere perpendicular to the plane of such circle meets the surface. Such a point is called the pole of that circle; as, the pole of the horizon; the pole of the ecliptic; the pole of a given meridian.

One of the opposite or contrasted parts or directions in which a polar force is manifested; a point of maximum intensity of a force which has two such points, or which has polarity; as, the poles of a magnet; the north pole of a needle.

The firmament; the sky.

To furnish with poles for support; as, to pole beans or hops.

To convey on poles; as, to pole hay into a barn.

To impel by a pole or poles, as a boat.

To stir, as molten glass, with a pole.

A long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic

A native or inhabitant of Poland

One of two divergent or mutually exclusive opinions;

A linear measure of 16.5 feet

A square rod of land

One of two points of intersection of the Earth's axis and the celestial sphere

One of two antipodal points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface

A contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves

A long fiberglass sports implement used for pole vaulting

One of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetism seems to be concentrated

Propel with a pole;

Support on poles;

Deoxidize molten metals by stirring them with a wooden pole