Columnar

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kəˈlʌmnɚ/

Definitions

1. Characterized by a shape or arrangement resembling a column, often tall and cylindrical
2. Describes a form or pattern that is pillar-like or organized in vertical segments
3. Having features that evoke the appearance of columns, such as being elongated and upright

Etymology: "Columnar" is a straightforward formation: it comes from Latin "columnaris," meaning "of or belonging to a column," built from "columna" (column) with the adjectival suffix "-aris," which English renders as "-ar." The Latin noun "columna" itself gave English "column" and the word traces back to the idea of a standing post or pillar. The adjective was therefore always tied to the literal architectural sense of a supporting pillar. Its meaning extends naturally to anything arranged in tall, upright, parallel shapes, such as columnar basalt rock formations or columnar cells in tissue, where the physical picture of pillars is still easy to see.

Synonyms: pillar-like, tall, slender