Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A slender, freestanding, vertical support; a column.
- noun Such a structure or one similar to it used for decoration.
- noun One who occupies a central or responsible position.
- transitive verb To support or decorate with pillars or a pillar.
- idiom (from pillar to post) From one place to another; hither and thither.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In ship-building, a column which supports a deck-beam in the interior of a vessel.
- noun A column; a columnar mass of any form, often composed, or having the appearance of being composed, of several shafts engaged in a central core, as is frequent in medieval architecture: by architects often distinguished from
column , inasmuch as it may be of any shape in section, and is not subordinated to the rules of classic architecture. See also cuts underlat and column. - noun A support or supporter; one who or that which sustains or upholds.
- noun The upright and supporting part of something, as of a table having but one support, or of a candlestick.
- noun In anatomy and zoology, a pillar-like or columnar structure, part, or organ; a column or columella; a crus: as, the pillar (columella or modiolus) of a spiral shell; the pillars (crura or peduncles) of the brain. See cut under
Discophora . - noun One of the posts which serve to connect the plates of a clock-movement, and also to keep them the necessary distance apart.
- noun In the manège, the raised center of the ring or manège-ground around which a horse turns. There are also pillars at regular intervals around the ground.
- noun A portable emblem in the form of an ornamented column, formerly carried before an ecclesiastical dignitary as typical of his function as a support to the church.
- noun Something resembling a pillar in appearance.
- noun A solid mass of coal left either temporarily or permanently to support the roof of a mine.
- noun In harp-making, the upright post on the side furthest from the player. It is usually hollow, and contains the rods of the pedal-action.
- noun A frame for supporting tobacco-pipes in a kiln.
- noun The nipple of a firearm.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective (Mach.) Having a support in the form of a pillar, instead of legs.
- noun The general and popular term for a firm, upright, insulated support for a superstructure; a pier, column, or post; also, a column or shaft not supporting a superstructure, as one erected for a monument or an ornament.
- noun Figuratively, that which resembles such a pillar in appearance, character, or office; a supporter or mainstay
- noun (R. C. Ch.), obsolete A portable ornamental column, formerly carried before a cardinal, as emblematic of his support to the church.
- noun (Man.) The center of the volta, ring, or manege ground, around which a horse turns.
- noun [Colloq.] hither and thither; to and fro; from one place or predicament to another; backward and forward.
- noun See
Stylite . - noun See
Fauces , 1.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A large
post , often used as supportingarchitecture . - noun Something resembling such a structure.
- noun An essential part of something that provides support.
- verb To provide with pillars or added strength as if from pillars.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a vertical cylindrical structure standing alone and not supporting anything (such as a monument)
- noun (architecture) a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright and used to support a structure
- noun anything that approximates the shape of a column or tower
- noun a prominent supporter
- noun a fundamental principle or practice
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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The Irish authorities has identified that only two main lenders—which it calls "pillar banks"—will emerge from Ireland's banking wreckage.
Irish Life Admits Defeat Eamon Quinn 2011
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Moreover, he charged a great angel to guard me, and this pillar is my prison until Judgment-day.
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Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.
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Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.
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Now Ab'salom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Ab'salom's place.
2 Samuel 18. 1999
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Ammood is translated pillar also, and corresponds to the English word pillar much better.
The Lost Ten Tribes, and 1882 Joseph Wild
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Half way up the shaft of the pillar is another square block, bearing vertical dials, and at the angle of the north face there is a shield with the Drummond arms, an earl's coronet, and the initials E.
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'Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance; and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's Place.
Expositions of Holy Scripture Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and First Book of Samuel, Second Samuel, First Kings, and Second Kings chapters I to VII Alexander Maclaren 1868
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It is justly so, for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize.
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The side altar of the right choir pillar is the altar of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (the famous Shrine of the Fourteen Holy Helpers - Vierzehnheiligen - is on the opposite Banz on the other side of the Main valley, can actually be seen from Banz and will be the subject of a subsequent instalment of this series) flanked by statues of Saints Dorothee and Margaret.
titi commented on the word pillar
It is a pillar of our economy that has held up the dreams of millions of our people.
March 30, 2009
ruzuzu commented on the word pillar
"One of the posts which serve to connect the plates of a clock-movement, and also to keep them the necessary distance apart.
In the manège, the raised center of the ring or manège-ground around which a horse turns. There are also pillars at regular intervals around the ground."
--Cent. Dict.
September 14, 2012