Bole vs. Pole — What's the Difference?
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By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 19, 2023
Bole refers to the main trunk of a tree, while pole denotes a long, slender, usually rounded piece of wood or metal.
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Difference Between Bole and Pole
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Key Differences
Bole and pole, though phonetically similar, differ greatly in meaning and use. Bole refers to the trunk of a tree, especially when referring to its main shaft, minus the branches. It's the core part of a tree that supports its branches. On the other hand, pole is a long, slender piece of wood, metal, or another material, often used for support or as a tool.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Aesthetically, boles play a significant role in landscapes, lending a sense of natural beauty and providing a habitat for various organisms. Poles, on the other hand, serve more functional purposes, though they can be incorporated into designs, such as in flagpoles or decorative structures.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
When speaking about age or maturity, the bole of a tree provides an insight into the age of the tree. By counting its rings, one can estimate its age. Poles, in contrast, don't indicate age or growth in the same manner, but their condition can suggest how long they've been in use or exposed to elements.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
In nature, you'll find boles wherever you see trees. A forest, for instance, would consist of numerous boles standing tall, supporting branches and leaves. Poles, conversely, are man-made or natural structures with a variety of purposes, ranging from being a part of a tent's support structure to utility poles carrying electrical wires.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
From a tactile perspective, the bole, being a part of a tree, can have various textures, from rough to smooth, and often displays the natural patterns of the tree's bark. A pole, when crafted, is typically smoothed down and may be treated or painted, making its texture and appearance more uniform than that of a bole.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The main trunk of a tree.
A long, slender, usually rounded piece.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Indication of Age
Through tree rings.
Condition can hint at duration of use.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Texture
Varies; from rough to smooth.
Typically smoothed, treated, or painted.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Primary Use
Natural support for branches.
Support, tool, or decorative structure.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
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Definitions
Bole
Bole refers to the part of a tree below the branches.
The bole's rough texture was an indication of its age.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
Pole can refer to the opposite ends of a magnet.
The north pole of the magnet attracted the south pole of another.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Bole
Any of various soft fine clays, especially a reddish-brown variety used as a pigment.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Either of the regions contiguous to the extremities of the earth's rotational axis, the North Pole or the South Pole.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
One of two divergent or mutually exclusive opinions;
They are at opposite poles
They are poles apart
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
The main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
Bole is the shaft of a tree that provides support.
The tree's bole was thick and unyielding to the wind.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
A contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
Bole can refer to the part of a tree used for timber.
The bole was chopped down to provide wood for construction.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
One of two points of intersection of the Earth's axis and the celestial sphere
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
Bole is the main stem or trunk of a tree.
The bole of the ancient oak stood sturdy through centuries.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
One of two antipodal points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
Any of several varieties of friable earthy clay, usually coloured red by iron oxide, and composed essentially of hydrous silicates of alumina, or more rarely of magnesia.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Pole denotes a position of extremity, often in opinions.
His views on the topic were completely pole apart from hers.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
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.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
The trunk or stem of a tree, or that which is like it.
Enormous elm-tree boles did stoop and lean.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
An aperture, with a wooden shutter, in the wall of a house, for giving, occasionally, air or light; also, a small closet.
Open the bole wi'speed, that I may see if this be the right Lord Geraldin.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
Any one of several varieties of friable earthy clay, usually colored more or less strongly red by oxide of iron, and used to color and adulterate various substances. It was formerly used in medicine. It is composed essentially of hydrous silicates of alumina, or more rarely of magnesia. See Clay, and Terra alba.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
A soft oily clay used as a pigment (especially a reddish brown pigment)
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
A point in the complex plane at which a given function is not defined.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria and closely related to Hausa
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
A long, relatively slender, generally rounded piece of wood or other material.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Bole
Bole is the central core of a tree.
Artists often find inspiration in the patterns on a bole.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
The long tapering wooden shaft extending up from the front axle of a vehicle to the collars of the animals drawing it; a tongue.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Originally, a stick; now specifically, a long and slender piece of metal or (especially) wood, used for various construction or support purposes.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
(transitive) To induce piezoelectricity in (a substance) by aligning the dipoles.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
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.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Either extremity of an axis of a sphere; especially, one of the extremities of the earth's axis; as, the north pole.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
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.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
One of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetism seems to be concentrated
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Pole is a long wooden or metal shaft used in various activities.
She vaulted over the bar using a flexible pole.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
(Electricity) Either of two oppositely charged terminals, as in an electric cell or battery.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
(Sports) The inside position on the starting line of a racetrack
Qualified in the time trials to start on the pole.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
To propel (oneself) or make (one's way) by the use of ski poles
"We ski through the glades on corn snow, then pole our way over a long one-hour runout to a road" (Frederick Selby).
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
A long sports implement used for pole-vaulting; now made of glassfiber or carbon fiber, formerly also metal, bamboo and wood have been used.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Either of the two points on the earth's surface around which it rotates; also, similar points on any other rotating object.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
A point of magnetic focus, especially each of the two opposing such points of a magnet (designated north and south).
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
(electricity) A contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
(complex analysis) For a meromorphic function , any point for which as .
The function has a single pole at .
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
To propel by pushing with poles, to push with a pole.
Huck Finn poled that raft southward down the Mississippi because going northward against the current was too much work.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
To identify something quite precisely using a telescope.
He poled off the serial of the Gulfstream to confirm its identity.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
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.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Propel with a pole;
Pole barges on the river
We went punting in Cambridge
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Tayyaba Rehman
Dec 03, 2022
Pole
Pole is a long slender piece of material used as a support or tool.
He used a pole to pick the highest fruit.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Pole
Pole can also mean a long measuring rod.
The surveyor used a pole to measure the land.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
FAQs
Does the term bole only apply to living trees?
No, even after a tree is cut down, the main trunk or stem is still referred to as the bole.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Can a tree have more than one bole?
Yes, some trees, due to certain growth patterns or external influences, can develop multiple boles.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
What is a bole in relation to trees?
Bole is the main trunk or stem of a tree, typically excluding the branches.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
What does pole usually refer to?
Pole often refers to a long, slender piece of wood or metal used as a support, tool, or part of a structure.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Are flagpoles and fishing poles examples of the term "pole"?
Yes, both flagpoles and fishing poles are specific types of poles designed for particular purposes.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Is the bole of a tree usually above or below ground?
The bole is primarily above ground, though the base of the bole may merge with the tree's root system below ground.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Can pole refer to something other than a physical object?
Yes, in a metaphorical sense, pole can denote extremities in opinions, positions, or conditions.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Are boles used commercially?
Yes, the bole of a tree, being the main source of wood, is often used in timber and wood-based industries.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
What's the connection between pole and magnetism?
In magnetism, poles refer to the two ends of a magnet, namely the north and south poles, which exhibit attraction or repulsion.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
Is there any symbolic meaning to the word pole?
Yes, poles can symbolize direction, as in "north pole" and "south pole," or extremity, as in polar opposites.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 19, 2023
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.