Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for water column. Search instead for water volume.

water column

American  
[waw-ter kahl-uhm, waht-er] / ˈwɔ tər ˈkɑl əm, ˈwɑt ər /

noun

water columns plural
  1. a conceptual vertical section of water, covering the full depth of a body of water and used to explain differences in water pressure, chemical composition, and other properties.

  2. Textiles. a measure of water resistance.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Shortly after fertilization, the larvae become mobile and are capable of coordinated swimming as they disperse in the water column.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2024

On a global scale, bottom trawling is estimated to kick up as much sediment into the water column as is deposited into oceans from all of the world's rivers.

From Science Daily • May 8, 2024

These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water column and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough.

From National Geographic • Feb. 21, 2024

Longer summers mean that the lake’s period of stratification — when the water column forms distinct layers that barely mix — will be longer.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2024

Sigurd swung his axe at the water column, cleaving a piece off, and he grabbed at Anya as she scrambled by.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "water column" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com