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Column: Definition, Usage & Key Differences Explained (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：opinion piece (column)

column 🔊

/ˈkɒləm/

A regular section in a newspaper, magazine, or website where a particular writer gives their opinions or shares information on a specific topic.

opinion piece 🔊

➕

/əˈpɪnjən piːs/

A regular feature in a publication where a writer expresses views on a specific topic.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'columna' meaning 'pillar, post', related to 'columen' (top, summit).

💡 Mnemonic

COLumn = COntent Lines Up Neatly, like text in a newspaper or stones in a pillar.

📖 Example

Every Saturday, I look forward to reading her column on healthy eating in the local newspaper. 🔊 Every Saturday, I eagerly read her opinion piece about healthy eating in the local newspaper.

🔗 Collocations

opinion column – A column dedicated to expressing the writer's personal views

write a column – To author a regular opinion or feature piece

weekly column – A column that is published once every week

🔄 Synonyms

feature (n.) – A special article in a newspaper or magazine, often longer than regular news

article (n.) – A piece of writing on a particular subject in a newspaper, magazine, or website

op-ed (n.) – A page in a newspaper devoted to opinion pieces, typically opposite the editorial page

🚫 Antonyms

body text (n.) – The main text of a publication, as opposed to featured sections like columns

🌱 Derivatives

columnist (n.) – A person who writes a regular column for a newspaper or magazine

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'columna' (pillar). In journalism, the term was adopted in the late 15th century, comparing a regular feature to a supporting structural pillar of the publication.

Meaning 2：pillar (column)

column 🔊

/ˈkɒləm/

A tall, solid, vertical post made of stone, metal, or wood, used to support part of a building or as a decoration.

pillar 🔊

➕

/ˈpɪlər/

A tall, vertical architectural structure, often cylindrical, used for support or decoration.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The ancient temple was famous for its tall marble columns that had stood for thousands of years. 🔊 The ancient temple was renowned for its tall marble pillars that had endured for millennia.

🔗 Collocations

stone column – A pillar constructed from stone

supporting column – A pillar that bears the weight of a structure above it

Doric column – A type of classical Greek column characterized by a simple, rounded capital

🔄 Synonyms

pillar (n.) – A tall vertical structure used as a support for a building

post (n.) – A long, sturdy piece of timber or metal set upright as a support

pier (n.) – A solid support designed to sustain vertical pressure, often in a bridge

🚫 Antonyms

wall (n.) – A continuous vertical brick or stone structure that encloses or divides an area

beam (n.) – A long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal used horizontally for support

🌱 Derivatives

columnar (adj.) – Having the form of a column; shaped like a pillar