maypole

noun

may·​pole ˈmā-ˌpōl How to pronounce maypole (audio)
variants often Maypole
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Flowers are put on crowns and Maypoles, gifted in May Day baskets, and seen fresh at the farmers' market. Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2026 May 1 is a public holiday observed all over Germany, but putting up maypoles in the center of the village is a beloved tradition celebrated primarily in Bavaria, Austria, and other parts of southern Germany as a symbol of not only community but also the beginning of spring and fertility. ABC News, 1 May 2026 The holiday May Day also invokes the image of children dancing around a maypole: A tall pole at the center as participants dance around in a circle holding strands of attached ribbons. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 May 2026 From emergencies at the maypole to mid-aircraft-flight heart attacks, apocalyptic firestorms ravaging the local landscape, and renegade horse Sugar's reign of terror, Netflix's Virgin River drama series is no stranger to the occasional unhinged plot development. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for maypole

Word History

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of maypole was in 1529

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Cite this Entry

“Maypole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maypole. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

maypole

noun
may·​pole ˈmā-ˌpōl How to pronounce maypole (audio)
often capitalized
: a tall pole decorated with ribbons and flowers that forms a center for May Day sports and dances
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