columellaPronunciation: /ˌkɒljʊˈmɛlə/Definition of columella noun (plural columellae /-liː/) 1 Zoology an ossicle (small bone) of the middle ear of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Anatomy the pillar around which the cochlea spirals. 2 Zoology the axis of a spiral shell. 3 Botany the axis of the spore-producing body of some lower plants. Derivatives columellar adjective Origin: late 16th century: from Latin, 'small column'columella in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of columella in the US English dictionary
