tentpole/ˈtɛntˌpoʊl/EtymologyFrom tent + pole.nounOne of the poles used to hold up a tent.A large-scale entertainment production that is a major source of revenue for its studio, television network, or investors.“His [James Rolfe's] reasoning dances around the simple fact that has set this innocuous-seeming movie apart from its fellow blockbusters this summer—that it’s a tentpole genre film starring women.”verbTo schedule a popular programme between two newer or less popular ones in the hope that viewers will watch them.