n.
- an upright pillar supporting an arch or other structure or standing alone as a monument.
▸an upright shaft used for controlling a machine.
- a vertical division of a page or text.
▸a regular section of a newspaper or magazine on a particular subject or by a particular person.
- a line of people or vehicles moving in the same direction.
▸Military a narrow-fronted deep formation of troops in successive lines.
Derivative
- columnar adj.
- columned adj.
Etymology
ME: partly from OFr. columpne, reinforced by its source, L. columna ‘pillar’.