Definition of "column"

(architecture) A solid upright structure designed usually to support a larger structure above it, such as a roof or horizontal beam, but sometimes for decoration.  examples

A vertical line of entries in a table, usually read from top to bottom.  examples

A body of troops or army vehicles, usually strung out along a road.  examples

A body of text meant to be read line by line, especially in printed material that has multiple adjacent such on a single page.  examples

A unit of width, especially of advertisements, in a periodical, equivalent to the width of a usual column of text.  examples

(by extension) A recurring feature in a periodical, especially an opinion piece, especially by a single author or small rotating group of authors, or on a single theme.  examples

Something having similar vertical form or structure to the things mentioned above, such as a spinal column.  quotations  examples

(botany) The gynostemium  examples

(chemistry) An object used to separate the different components of a liquid or to purify chemical compounds.  examples