A post is a vertical element that holds something up or serves as support.
Post is a term that comes from the Latin word postis . It is a column , a piece of wood , a stone or other element that is placed vertically and serves as a support or a signal .
For example: "Be careful with the poles: they are signaling that an accident occurred a few meters ahead" , "A light pole fell due to strong gusts of wind and crushed a car" , "The motorcyclist was able to avoid the pedestrian, but ended up hitting a pole" .
A pole, therefore, can provide support for something. A light pole is one that allows the laying of electrical wiring or that has a spotlight on its top to illuminate a public space. Fences , on the other hand, have poles that serve to deploy the wires.
The light poles
Lampposts are a traditional element in many parts of the world, one of the few that has managed to transcend the sudden advances in technology and fashion trends. The first street lamps intended to illuminate public roads date back to the 16th century in France . At first, around 1520 , citizens were required to hang a light source on their doors; about three decades later, lampposts began to be used, although they had to be lit manually.
Little by little, bodies dedicated to turning on and off the public street lamps in the cities were organized. At the beginning of the 19th century, gas lighting was implemented, and for a time there was still a need for lamplighters to turn on and off each post. However, it was not long before the first automatic lighting systems were adopted.
In 1875 , thanks to the research and development work of Pavel Yablochkov, originally from Russia , the first electric street lamps appeared, also known as Jablochoff or Yablochkov candles. The technology used was electric arc with carbon electrodes that used alternating current to ensure that the electrodes burned evenly. The first post that took advantage of this discovery was installed in Paris in 1880 , and was later taken to England and the United States , among other countries.
The vertical posts of a goal or arch are called posts.
Other uses
Several generations have enjoyed street lighting and, as expected, have written interesting stories about this necessary and unique element. The lamp post can awaken a sense of romanticism in some people, provide security to others in the middle of a dangerous road at night, or simply serve as a reference point when giving directions to find a street in broad daylight.
On the other hand, there are many stories of abandoned animals that appear tied to a post, sometimes in little-travelled areas, which takes cruelty to even more difficult levels to understand. It is one of the most common acts of cowardice in everyday life in a city, although there are certainly examples of more violence, such as when someone literally throws a dog from a moving car because they have grown tired of it.
Post in sport
The vertical posts of a football goal (or arc ) may also be called posts. The horizontal post, on the other hand, is known as the crossbar: «The forward kicked from half-field and the ball crashed into the post» , «We were unlucky: all the shots hit the posts» , «The ball hit both posts and then entered the goal» .
In basketball , the post is a position occupied by certain players . The low post is the area closest to the hoop or basket, which is why the pivot or center usually moves there. Depending on the proximity, we can also talk about the middle post or the high post.