often capitalized
: a tall flower-wreathed pole forming a center for May Day sports and dances
Examples of maypole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are several traditions that have become synonymous with May Day, including festivals and maypoles twirled with brightly colored ribbons.
—
Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024
In 1627, Morton constructed a maypole in the town square and invited anyone to join him in drinking and dancing around the pole.
—Colleen Connolly, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023
But perhaps the most intriguing is the tradition of the maypole.
—Kate Franke, Woman's Day, 25 Apr. 2023
Communities dance around the poles while weaving the ribbons and compete to see who has the tallest maypole.
—Kate Franke, Woman's Day, 25 Apr. 2023
The Washington Revels lead a procession through the park before dancing around a maypole.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
Similar to maypoles, May baskets symbolize the fertility of women.
—Kate Franke, Woman's Day, 25 Apr. 2023
Rudi and Elke erected a homemade maypole (a tall wooden pole traditionally used in European folk festivals) in their yard in Bavaria, topped with a picture of their family.
—Francesca Street, CNN, 17 Jan. 2023
Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have watched their maypole dance for more than 20 years.
—Sarah Scoles, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2019
Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2024
In 1627, Morton constructed a maypole in the town square and invited anyone to join him in drinking and dancing around the pole.
—Colleen Connolly, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023
But perhaps the most intriguing is the tradition of the maypole.
—Kate Franke, Woman's Day, 25 Apr. 2023
Communities dance around the poles while weaving the ribbons and compete to see who has the tallest maypole.
—Kate Franke, Woman's Day, 25 Apr. 2023
The Washington Revels lead a procession through the park before dancing around a maypole.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
Similar to maypoles, May baskets symbolize the fertility of women.
—Kate Franke, Woman's Day, 25 Apr. 2023
Rudi and Elke erected a homemade maypole (a tall wooden pole traditionally used in European folk festivals) in their yard in Bavaria, topped with a picture of their family.
—Francesca Street, CNN, 17 Jan. 2023
Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have watched their maypole dance for more than 20 years.
—Sarah Scoles, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maypole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Maypole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maypole. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
maypole
noun
may·pole
ˈmā-ˌpōl 
often capitalized
: a tall pole decorated with ribbons and flowers that forms a center for May Day sports and dances
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