rhizoverbBeta
Dictionarypillarupright column
noun

pillar

PIL-er/ˈpɪlər/

A tall upright column that supports a structure.

Two stone pillars support the roof above the front entrance.

A tall stone pillar visibly supporting the heavy horizontal beam of a small roofed portico, with its base, shaft, and load-bearing contact clearly exposed.
Etymology
pillarLatinpillar, stone barrier

Latin pila meant “pillar” or “stone barrier”; its earlier origin is unknown. The English structural sense preserves the concrete idea of an upright member that can bear weight.

In context

Plainly Difficult45:39
this was the act of pillar robbing you see a pillar is a column of unmined ore used to support the roof of mine
ReWind: Year 5 Omnibus of Plainly Difficult

More examples

  • A thick wooden pillar supports the porch roof.
  • Workers inspect the cracks in a concrete pillar beneath the bridge.
  • Rows of marble pillars hold up the hall's high ceiling.

Forms

pillar · pillars

Similar words

column
A closely overlapping term, often suggesting a cylindrical architectural support.
post
Usually a simpler upright support made of wood or metal.
pier
A massive support, especially beneath a bridge or arch.