Column - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms (original) (raw)
Other forms: columns
Someone who writes a column for a newspaper provides an article that expresses his or her viewpoint on a regular basis, such as a column about local politics which appears in the Sunday edition.
If your boss says, “I’m going to give you a column!” you may be getting a regular writing gig, or you may be getting a large pillar typically used to support a building. (You’ll know which it is when you see it.)Column also refers to something that resembles a pillar or stack, such as a column of smoke, or columns of numbers that must be added. Column also describes lines of text that form long rectangles on a page, separated by a thin line of space.
Definitions of column
- noun
a line of units following one after another - noun
a vertical array of numbers or other information
“he added a column of numbers”
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array
an orderly arrangement - noun
a vertical cylindrical structure standing alone and not supporting anything (such as a monument)
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obelisk
a stone pillar having a rectangular cross section tapering towards a pyramidal top
[totem pole](/dictionary/totem pole)
a tribal emblem consisting of a pillar carved and painted with totemic figures; erected by Indian tribes of the northwest Pacific coast - noun
(architecture) a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright and used to support a structure
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caryatid
a supporting column carved in the shape of a person
newel
the central pillar of a circular staircase
pilaster
a rectangular column that usually projects about a third of its width from the wall to which it is attached
pile, piling, spile, stilt
a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure
lally, [lally column](/dictionary/lally column)
support column consisting of a steel cylinder filled with concrete - noun
anything that approximates the shape of a column or tower
“the test tube held a column of white powder”
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columella
a small column (or structure resembling a column) that is a part of a plant or animal
hoodoo
(geology) a column of weathered and unusually shaped rock
type of:
form, shape
the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance - noun
any tubular or pillar-like supporting structure in the body - noun
a page or text that is vertically divided
“the newspaper devoted several columns to the subject”
“the bookkeeper used pages that were divided into columns” - noun
a vertical glass tube used in column chromatography; a mixture is poured in the top and washed through a stationary substance where components of the mixture are adsorbed selectively to form colored bands
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tube, tubing
conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases - noun
an article giving opinions or perspectives
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type of:
article
nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘column'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback