Column vs. Pier

Column vs. Pier — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Column and Pier

Columnnoun

(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.

Piernoun

A raised platform built from the shore out over water, supported on piles; used to secure, or provide access to shipping; a jetty.

Columnnoun

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

Piernoun

A similar structure, especially at a seaside resort, used to provide entertainment.

Columnnoun

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

Piernoun

A structure that projects tangentially from the shoreline to accommodate ships; often double-sided.

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Columnnoun

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

It was too hard to read the text across the whole page, so I split it into two columns.

Piernoun

A structure supporting the junction between two spans of a bridge.

Columnnoun

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

Each column inch costs $300 a week; this ad is four columns by three inches, so will run $3600 a week.

Piernoun

(architecture) A rectangular pillar, or similar structure, that supports an arch, wall or roof.

Columnnoun

(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.

His initial foray into print media was as the author of a weekly column in his elementary-school newspaper.

Piernoun

a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats

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Columnnoun

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

Piernoun

(architecture) a vertical supporting structure (as a portion of wall between two doors or windows)

Columnnoun

(botany) The gynostemium

Piernoun

a support for two adjacent bridge spans

Columnnoun

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

Columnnoun

a line of (usually military) units following one after another

Columnnoun

a vertical glass tube used in column chromatography; a mixture is poured in the top and washed through a stationary substance where components of the mixture are adsorbed selectively to form colored bands

Columnnoun

a linear array of numbers one above another

Columnnoun

anything tall and thin approximating the shape of a column or tower;

the test tube held a column of white powdera tower of dust rose above the horizona thin pillar of smoke betrayed their campsite

Columnnoun

an article giving opinions or perspectives

Columnnoun

a vertical structure standing alone and not supporting anything (as a monument or a column of air)

Columnnoun

(architeture) a tall cylindrical vertical upright and used to support a structure