pillar

[ pil-er ]

/ ˈpɪl ər /

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See synonyms for: pillar / pillared / pillaring / pillars on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

a natural formation resembling such a construction: a pillar of rock; a pillar of smoke.

any upright, supporting part; post: the pillar of a table.

a person who is a chief supporter of a society, state, institution, etc.: a pillar of the community.

a basis or support: The government regards agriculture and trade as fundamental pillars for the future economy.

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.

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.

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.

Nautical. mast¹ (def. 2).

verb (used with object)

to provide or support with pillars.

OTHER WORDS FOR pillar

1 pilaster, pier.

See synonyms for pillar on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about pillar

from pillar to post,

aimlessly from place to place.
uneasily from one bad situation or predicament to another.

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 pile¹;see also -ar¹

synonym study for pillar

1. See column.

OTHER WORDS FROM pillar

pil·lared, adjectivepil·lar·like, adjectiveun·pil·lared, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pillar

pillar , pillory, pillow

How to use pillar in a sentence

The wide receiver who snared the ball was a pillar for the Houston Texans.
Kyler Murray runs out of miracles as Seahawks hang on to take over first place in NFC West|Mark Maske|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Once you work on your pillars, it’s time to build your themed link funnels.
Top strategies behind link building success|Tereza Litsa|November 16, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The widest pillars with the least spacing give off red light, the next widest, green, and least wide, blue.
New Display Packs 10,000 PPI and Could Paint Stunning VR Worlds|Jason Dorrier|November 1, 2020|Singularity Hub
They speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus, and have become pillars of the Detroit business community.
Political Tremors: How to Survive Election Day Drama|Nick Fouriezos|November 1, 2020|Ozy

The Edelman Trust barometer continues to show CEOs to be one of the most trusted pillars of society.
Election 2020: Counting on business to seek fair ballot counts|matthewheimer|October 30, 2020|Fortune
She opened a door at the back of the central hall and found herself in a pillared corridor with a door at either end.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
At the ground level there was, however, a certain pillared recess, which bore the marks of human habitation.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XXI|Robert Louis Stevenson
Here was a pillared-porch, above which had been built what appeared to be a conservatory.
The Daffodil Mystery|Edgar Wallace
Governors and legislators peopled its walks; pillared mansions grew at the heads of long avenues of water oak.
Mountain|Clement Wood
Mr. Chope appears to use it for the pillared structure within the recess.
Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall|Robert S. Hawker

British Dictionary definitions for pillar

pillar

/ (ˈpɪlə) /

noun

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

something resembling this in shape or functiona pillar of stones; a pillar of smoke

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

a prominent supportera pillar of the Church

from pillar to post from one place to another

verb

(tr) to support with or as if with pillars

Word Origin for pillar

C13: from Old French pilier, from Latin pīla; see pile 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pillar

OTHER WORDS FOR pillar

Idioms about pillar

Origin of pillar

synonym study for pillar

OTHER WORDS FROM pillar

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pillar

Words related to pillar

How to use pillar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pillar

Word Origin for pillar