Definitions for column
ˈkɒl əmcol·umn

Princeton's WordNet(2.74 / 8 votes)Rate this definition:

1. columnnoun

   a line of units following one after another

2. column, chromatography columnnoun

   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

3. columnnoun

   a vertical array of numbers or other information

   "he added a column of numbers"

4. column, tower, pillarnoun

   anything that approximates the shape of a column or tower

   "the test tube held a column of white powder"; "a tower of dust rose above the horizon"; "a thin pillar of smoke betrayed their campsite"

5. column, editorial, newspaper columnnoun

   an article giving opinions or perspectives

6. column, pillarnoun

   a vertical cylindrical structure standing alone and not supporting anything (such as a monument)

7. column, pillarnoun

   (architecture) a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright and used to support a structure

8. columnnoun

   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"

9. columnnoun

   any tubular or pillar-like supporting structure in the body

GCIDE(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Columnnoun

   (Print.) one of a series of articles written in a periodical, usually under the same title and at regular intervals; it may be written and signed by one or more authors, or may appear pseudonymously or anonymously, as an editorial column.

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. columnnoun

   A solid upright structure designed usually to support a larger structure above it, such as a roof or horizontal beam, but sometimes for decoration.

2. columnnoun

   A vertical line of entries in a table, usually read from top to bottom.

3. columnnoun

   A body of troops or army vehicles, usually strung out along a road.

4. columnnoun

   A body of text meant to be read line by line, especially in printed material that has multiple adjacent such on a single page.

   It was too hard to read the text across the whole page, so I split it into two columns.

5. columnnoun

   A recurring feature in a periodical, especially an opinion piece, especially by a single author or small rotating group of authors, or on a single theme.

   His initial foray into print media was as the author of a weekly column in his elementary-school newspaper.

6. columnnoun

   Something having similar vertical form or structure to the things mentioned above, such as a spinal column.

7. Etymology: From columne, which from columna, originally a collateral form of columen, contraction culmen, o-grade form from a. Akin to collis, celsus, probably to κολοφών.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. COLUMNnoun

   Etymology: columna, Latin.

   1. A round pillar.

   Some of the old Greek columns, and altars were brought from the ruins of Apollo’s temple at Delos. Henry Peacham.

   Round broken columns clasping ivy twin’d. Alexander Pope.

   2. Any body of certain dimensions pressing vertically upon its base.

   The whole weight of any column of the atmosphere, and likewise the specifick gravity of its bases, are certainly known by many experiments. Richard Bentley, Sermons.

   3. [In the military art.] The long file or row of troops, or of baggage, of an army in its march. An army marches in one, two, three, or more columns, according as the ground will allow.4. [With printers.] A column is half a page, when divided into two equal parts by a line passing through the middle, from the top to the bottom; and, by several parallel lines, pages are often divided into three or more columns.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Columnnoun

   a kind of pillar; a cylindrical or polygonal support for a roof, ceiling, statue, etc., somewhat ornamented, and usually composed of base, shaft, and capital. See Order

2. Columnnoun

   anything resembling, in form or position, a column in architecture; an upright body or mass; a shaft or obelisk; as, a column of air, of water, of mercury, etc.; the Column Vendome; the spinal column

3. Columnnoun

   a body of troops formed in ranks, one behind the other; -- contradistinguished from line. Compare Ploy, and Deploy

4. Columnnoun

   a small army

5. Columnnoun

   a number of ships so arranged as to follow one another in single or double file or in squadrons; -- in distinction from "line", where they are side by side

6. Columnnoun

   a perpendicular set of lines, not extending across the page, and separated from other matter by a rule or blank space; as, a column in a newspaper

7. Columnnoun

   a perpendicular line of figures

8. Columnnoun

   the body formed by the union of the stamens in the Mallow family, or of the stamens and pistil in the orchids

9. Etymology: [L. columna, fr. columen, culmen, fr. cellere (used only in comp.), akin to E. excel, and prob. to holm. See Holm, and cf. Colonel.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Column

   Column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below, in other words a column is a compression member. The term column applies especially to a large round support with a capital and base and made of stone, or appearing to be so. A small wooden or metal support is typically called a post, and supports with a rectangular or other non-round section are usually called piers. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces. Other compression members are often termed "columns" because of the similar stress conditions. Columns are frequently used to support beams or arches on which the upper parts of walls or ceilings rest. In architecture, "column" refers to such a structural element that also has certain proportional and decorative features. A column might also be a decorative element not needed for structural purposes; many columns are "engaged", that is to say form part of a wall.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Column

   kol′um, n. a long, round body, used to support or adorn a building: any upright body or mass like a column: a body of troops drawn up in deep files: a perpendicular row of lines in a book.—ns. Col′ūmel, a small column; Colūmel′la, the central axis of a spiral univalve; the auditory ossicle of the amphibian ear: the central axis of the spore-case of mosses: in the opening of fruits, what remains in the centre after the carpels have split away.—adjs. Colum′nal, Colum′nar, formed in columns.—n. Columna′rity.—adjs. Col′umned, Colum′niāted, Colum′nated, having columns.—n. Colum′niātion. [L. columen, columna, akin to celsus, high; Gr. kolōnē, a hill.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. column

   A body of troops in deep files and narrow front, so disposed as to move in regular succession.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. column

   Signifies, in military evolutions, a mass of soldiers several ranks in depth as opposed to line. There may be columns of brigades, of regiments, of divisions, or of companies, presenting a front of limited width, but a depth depending on the number of elements in the column. In a battalion the formation is called open column when the distance between the elements of the column is such as to admit of their wheeling into line; when the distance is only a few yards it is termed close column; when intermediate between these two, it is “column at half distance.” Battalions are drawn up in column with either the right or left in front, or the battalions may be doubled upon their centres. To pass from column into line is to “deploy”; to pass from line to column is to “ploy.” Sometimes the name column is given to a small army, especially when engaged in active operations. In drawing up troops for action, as a general rule, the French prefer the column, the Americans and English the formation in line.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. column

   A type of structure to support.

   The hotel has tall columns at the foyer of the hotel.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on March 28, 2020  

2. ---

   column

   A type of structure within a piece of software.

   The column of the spreadsheet was aligned with the rows.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on March 28, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Array
   • File
   • Military
   • Skeletal Structure
   • Structure
   • Text
   • Tube

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'column' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3446

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'column' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4181

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'column' in Nouns Frequency: #1027

How to pronounce column?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say column in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of column in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of column in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of column in a Sentence

1. Chris Hoy:

   It's an honor to be able to do this kind of thing, i hope to do a diary column and also a front cover -- and then in October I have my own exhibition at my old college. It's a busy time for me.

2. Luiz Rocha:

   It's a really different environment : It's darker( because the water functions as a filter absorbing light, so the deeper you go, the darker it gets) and colder, there are much fewer corals, and almost no algae( because of the lack of light), so the fish community is very different and most fish at this depth feed on plankton( tiny marine invertebrates that live in the water column).

3. Frank Moore Colby:

   Averageness is a quality we must put up with. Men march toward civilization in column formation, and by the time the van has learned to admire the masters the rear is drawing reluctantly away from the totem pole.

4. Juan Manuel:

   Annulling the legislative power with an arbitrary decision is unacceptable, this clearly destroys the most important column of any democracy: representation of the people.

5. Steven Pawson:

   What we can measure right now is the total column of CO2 in the atmosphere, the current technology is not strong enough to give absolute values, but if there were a gross misrepresentation (of one country's emissions), it would be quite possible to see.

Popularity rank by frequency of use