The word 电线杆 is formed by combining three characters: 电 (diàn), meaning "electricity"; 线 (xiàn), meaning "wire"; and 杆 (gǎn), meaning "pole". The first two characters, 电线, together specify "electric wire", and when 杆 is added, it denotes a "pole for electric wires", resulting in the compound term for a utility pole.