Column
/ˈkɑːləm/
nounB1
Definition
A column is a long, upright pillar that can hold up parts of a building, like a roof or a ceiling. It can also mean one of the vertical sections in a table, newspaper, or spreadsheet where information is arranged up and down.
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⚡ See It in Action
A tall vertical pillar used in buildings for support or decoration
- •The ancient temple had many stone columns.
- •Columns hold up the roof of the old library.
- •Marble columns look beautiful in classical architecture.
A vertical section of text or numbers in tables, newspapers, or spreadsheets
- •The phone numbers are listed in the second column.
- •Newspapers often have columns of small text.
- •Please enter your data in the first column of the spreadsheet.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "column" like "line," but turned up and down instead of across.
- ✓Picture tall pillars outside old buildings holding up the roof, or the vertical lines of words in a newspaper.
- ✓It's the feeling of something strong and steady, like a tree trunk standing straight.
- ✓Sounds like "CALL-um" → imagine someone named Callum standing tall and straight like a pillar.
- ✓In stories, columns often appear in old temples or important buildings, symbolizing strength.
- ✓NOT like "row" (which goes side to side), a column goes up and down.
- ✓NOT like "beam" (which is horizontal and holds weight), a column is vertical.
- ✓NOT like "post" (which can be small or short), columns are usually tall and important.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Pillar: a strong vertical support in buildings (Use when emphasizing strength and support)
- •Post: a vertical piece of wood or metal (Use when the object is smaller or simpler than a column)
- •Section: a part of something, like text or data (Use when talking about parts of text or tables without the vertical shape emphasis)
- •Row: horizontal line of items (Use when the direction is side to side, opposite of column)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: No prefix or suffix; root word "column"
- •Etymology: From Latin "columna," meaning a pillar or vertical structure
- •Historical development: Used since ancient times to describe architectural pillars in Roman and Greek buildings
- •Modern usage: Used for both architecture (pillars) and for vertical divisions in writing, tables, or data displays
- •Interesting fact: Columns in newspapers were named because text was arranged in long vertical blocks like pillars
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of a column help you understand the organization of information in books or websites?
•Can a column be both strong and decorative? How do buildings use columns for these two purposes?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The ancient building stayed standing because its ___ were very strong and well made.
2.In a spreadsheet, you enter numbers in a ___ that goes from top to bottom.
3.Unlike a row, which goes side to side, a column always goes ___.
4.The newspaper article was printed in a narrow ___ to fit many words on one page.
5.When designing a building, architects decide how many ___ will hold the roof.
6.The data in the third ___ showed the students’ test scores.
7.A column can be both a physical support and a part of ___ or tables.