pole vs barge pole

pole and barge pole both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
pole	Yes	No	Yes	No
barge pole	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, barge pole is a hyponym of pole; that is, barge pole is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than pole:

Other hyponyms of pole include boom, microphone boom, caber, clothes tree, coat stand, coat tree, mast, ski pole, spar, stilt.

pole (noun)	barge pole (noun)
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic	a long pole used to propel or guide a barge
one of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetism seems to be concentrated
a long fiberglass sports implement used for pole vaulting
a contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves
one of two divergent or mutually exclusive opinions
one of two antipodal points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface
one of two points of intersection of the Earth's axis and the celestial sphere
a linear measure of 16.5 feet
a square rod of land

pole (verb)	barge pole (verb)
deoxidize molten metals by stirring them with a wooden pole
propel with a pole
support on poles