/puy"lon/ , n.
1. a marking post or tower for guiding aviators, frequently used in races.
2. a relatively tall structure at the side of a gate, bridge, or avenue, marking an entrance or approach.
3. a monumental tower forming the entrance to an ancient Egyptian temple, consisting either of a pair of tall quadrilateral masonry masses with sloping sides and a doorway between them or of one such mass pierced with a doorway.
4. a steel tower or mast carrying high-tension lines, telephone wires, or other cables and lines.
5. Aeron. a finlike device used to attach engines, auxiliary fuel tanks, bombs, etc., to an aircraft wing or fuselage.
[ 1840-50; pylón gateway, gate tower ]