column

noun

• 1an upright pillar, typically cylindrical, supporting an arch, entablature, or other structure or standing alone as a monument: a wide entrance portico of eight Ionic columns the pulpit is hexagonal and stands on seven columns
• a vertical, roughly cylindrical thing:a great column of smoke
• an upright shaft for controlling a machine or vehicle:a Spitfire control column

• 2a vertical division of a page or text: turn to page five, column seven detail your expenses in the left-hand column
• a vertical arrangement of figures or other information: list your strengths and weaknesses in two columns the typical business report consists of columns and rows of numeric information
• a regular section of a newspaper or magazine devoted to a particular subject or written by a particular person: he has a weekly column in a Sydney newspaper I’ve been reading your column for five years

• 3one or more lines of people or vehicles moving in the same direction:a column of tanks moved north-west we walked in a column
• Military a narrow-fronted deep formation of troops in successive lines: a column of 300 to 400 troops
• a military force or convoy of ships: Moran had commanded a column in the war he organized his column for the coming march