column

noun col·umn \ ˈkä-ləm also ˈkäl-yəm \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: column in a Sentence

Definition of column

1 a : a vertical arrangement of items printed or written on a page

columns of numbers

b : one of two or more vertical sections of a printed page separated by a rule or blank space

The news article takes up three columns.

c : an accumulation arranged vertically : stack

columns of paint cans

d : one in a usually regular series of newspaper or magazine articles

the gossip column

advice columns

2 : a supporting pillar; especially : one consisting of a usually round shaft, a capital, and a base

a colonnade of marble columns

3 a : something resembling a column in form, position, or function

a column of water

columns of smoke

b : a tube or cylinder in which a chromatographic separation takes place

4 : a long row (as of soldiers)

columns of troops

5 : one of the vertical lines of elements of a determinant or matrix

6 : a statistical category or grouping

put another game in the win column

—

columned

play \ˈkä-ləmd, ˈkäl-yəmd\ adjective

See column defined for English-language learners

See column defined for kids

Examples of column in a Sentence

a facade with marble columns
Add the first column of numbers.
The article takes up three columns.
The error appears at the bottom of the second column.
She writes a weekly column for the paper.

Recent Examples of column from the Web

Around 10,000 police were deployed across the city to prevent a column of tens of thousands of his fans from reaching the airport.

— The Economist, "Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan, and jail," 14 July 2018
Submit potential column questions to Kelly@Richardsonober.com.

— kelly g. richardson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "HOA Homefront: Are these rules valid?," 14 July 2018
And, for those wondering how best to do waistcoat style, there has been a spike in online advice columns addressing the issue.

— New York Times, "How Gareth Southgate Made the Waistcoat a Surprise World Cup M.V.P.," 13 July 2018
Over Easy is a weekly food column by a 20-something woman who can barely cook an egg and just wants to learn how to throw together an elegant three-course meal for her friends.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Are Homemade Doughnuts Worth the Effort and Fire Hazard?," 13 July 2018
Clarification: Last week’s column on power yard tools incorrectly stated the number of potential recharges for the EGO lithium-battery.

— marni jameson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "7 mistakes rookie DIY decorators make," 13 July 2018
Fieldwork conducted by Braun columns may be one point more or less than the sum of their component parts due to rounding.

— Fox News, "Fox News Poll 7/12," 12 July 2018
Capofaro’s architecture is classical, with arches and columns that curve outward slightly, like barrels.

— howie kahn, Smithsonian, "These Volcanic, Italian Islands Have Been Beloved by Travelers Since Homeric Times," 11 July 2018
According to a 2016 Enquirer guest column by the late Don Clare, former president of Rabbit Hash Historical Society, ferries are not new to the Ohio River town.

— melissa reinert, Cincinnati.com, "Ferry from Rabbit Hash to Rising Sun to be christened this Thursday," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'column.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of column

Origin and Etymology of column

Middle English columne, from Anglo-French columpne, from Latin columna, from columen top; akin to Latin collis hill — more at hill

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

column Synonyms

Synonyms

cue, file, line, queue, range, string, train;

Related Words

echelon, rank, row, tier;

chain, progression, sequence, succession;

array;

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

COLUMN Defined for English Language Learners

column

noun

Definition of column for English Language Learners

: a long post made of steel, stone, etc., that is used as a support in a building
: a group of printed or written items (such as numbers or words) shown one under the other down a page
: any one of two or more sections of print that appear next to each other on a page and are separated by a blank space or a line

COLUMN Defined for Kids

column

noun col·umn \ ˈkä-ləm \

Definition of column for Students

1 : one of two or more vertical sections of a printed page

Read the article in the left column.

2 : a group of items shown one under the other down a page

a column of figures

3 : a regular feature in a newspaper or magazine

a sports column

4 : a pillar used to support a building

5 : something that is tall or thin in shape or arrangement

a column of smoke

6 : a long straight row

a column of soldiers

Medical Dictionary

column

noun col·umn \ ˈkäl-əm \

medical Definition of column

: a longitudinal subdivision of the spinal cord that resembles a column or pillar: as

a : any of the principal longitudinal subdivisions of gray matter or white matter in each lateral half of the spinal cord — see dorsal horn, gray column, lateral column 1, ventral horn — compare funiculus a

b : any of a number of smaller bundles of spinal nerve fibers : fasciculus