Main Entry:

¹pil·lar

Pronunciation:

\ˈpi-lər\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English piler, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin pilare, from Latin pila

Date:

13th century

1 a: a firm upright support for a superstructure : post b: a usually ornamental column or shaft ; especially : one standing alone for a monument2 a: a supporting, integral, or upstanding member or part <a pillar of society> b: a fundamental precept <the five pillars of Islam>3: a solid mass of coal, rock, or ore left standing to support a mine roof4: a body part that resembles a column

— pil·lar·less adjective

— from pillar to post

: from one place or one predicament to another