pillar

American  

[pil-er] / ˈpɪl ər /

noun

1. an upright shaft or structure, of stone, brick, or other material, relatively slender in proportion to its height, and of any shape in section, used as a building support, or standing alone, as for a monument.

   Gothic pillars; a pillar to commemorate Columbus.

   Synonyms:

   pier , pilaster

2. a natural formation resembling such a construction.

   a pillar of rock; a pillar of smoke.

3. any upright, supporting part; post.

   the pillar of a table.

4. a person who is a chief supporter of a society, state, institution, etc..

   a pillar of the community.

5. a basis or support.

   The government regards agriculture and trade as fundamental pillars for the future economy.

6. a core tenet, belief, or religious act, especially in Islam.

   As the fifth pillar of Islam, every Muslim is obligated to make pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime as long as it is possible.

   The Ten Commandments are considered to be pillars of both Judaism and Christianity.

7. Horology.  any of several short parts for spacing and keeping in the proper relative positions two plates holding the bearings of a watch or clock movement.

8. Mining.  an isolated mass of rock or ore in a mine, usually serving as a roof support in early operations and later removed, wholly or in part.

9. Nautical.  mast.

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verb (used with object)

1. to provide or support with pillars.

idioms

1. from pillar to post,

   1. aimlessly from place to place.

   2. uneasily from one bad situation or predicament to another.

pillar British  

/ ˈpɪlə /

noun

1. an upright structure of stone, brick, metal, etc, that supports a superstructure or is used for ornamentation

2. something resembling this in shape or function

   a pillar of stones

   a pillar of smoke

3. a tall, slender, usually sheer rock column, forming a separate top

4. a prominent supporter

   a pillar of the Church

5. from one place to another

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verb

1. (tr) to support with or as if with pillars

Related Words

See column.

Other Word Forms

• pillared adjective
• pillarlike adjective
• unpillared adjective

Etymology

Origin of pillar

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English piler(e), pileir, pillar(e) from Old French piler, pileir, piller, and Medieval Latin pīlāre, pīlārium, pīlārius, from Latin pīla pile ¹; -ar ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Retail sales represent a large slice of consumer spending, the main pillar of growth for the U.S. economy.

From MarketWatch

A nearly eight-foot stack of 26 enlarged white ceramic plates, which derive from dinnerware the artist found in a shop, stands as a mind-boggling pillar.

From Los Angeles Times

For the first time, trade has been included as a pillar of the final text, with a three-year dialogue to take place under the climate framework.

From Barron's

“And I use that as my pillar of strength.”

From The Wall Street Journal

There, he would become a pillar of the community, building a youth group that Suleiman participated in.

From Salon

Related Words

• pedestal