Emily Dickinson Lexicon

POLE, n.¹ [Sax. pol, pal; G. pfahl; D. paal; Sw. påle; Dan. pæl; W. pawl; L. palus. See Pale.]

1. A long slender piece of wood, or the stem of a small tree deprived of its branches. Thus seamen use poles for setting or driving boats in shallow water; the stems of small trees are used for hoops and called hoop-poles; the sterns of small, but tall straight trees, are used as poles for supporting the scaffolding in building.
2. A rod; a perch; a measure of length of five yards and a half. [In New England, rod is generally used.]
3. An instrument for measuring. – Bacon. Bare poles. A ship is under bare poles, when her sails are all furled. – Mar. Dict.