columnar

adjective

co·​lum·​nar kə-ˈləm-nər How to pronounce columnar (audio)
1
: of, relating to, resembling, or characterized by columns
2
: of, relating to, being, or composed of tall narrow somewhat cylindrical or prismatic epithelial cells

Examples of columnar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This slow-growing columnar cactus looks striking in a pot because it’s covered in white, wooly spines that look like unkempt hair. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026 Slowly, very slowly, the serpent’s erectile head came up, up, cantilevered from its upper body, its firm, columnar upper body. — John McPhee, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 Dicot trees, on the other hand, may feature gargantuan, columnar trunks meant to support an enormous canopy. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 June 2026 Although there are taller, more upright or columnar forms, look for the dwarf varieties, which maintain their rounded habits with little to no pruning. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for columnar

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of columnar was in 1728

Browse Nearby Words

columnal
columnar
Columnaria
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Columnar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/columnar. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

columnar

adjective
co·​lum·​nar kə-ˈləm-nər How to pronounce columnar (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being columns
2
: of, relating to, being, or composed of somewhat cylinder-shaped or prism-shaped epithelial cells

Medical Definition

columnar

adjective
co·​lum·​nar kə-ˈləm-nər How to pronounce columnar (audio)
: of, relating to, being, or composed of tall narrow somewhat cylindrical or prismatic epithelial cells
Barrett's esophagus is the condition in which a metaplastic columnar epithelium replaces the squamous epithelium that normally lines the distal esophagus.—Stuart Jon Spechler, Scientific American Medicine Bulletin
When the development of the teeth is about to commence, the mouth cavity is lined by an epithelium which consists of a layer of low columnar cells.—James Henderson Scott et al., Introduction to Dental Anatomy
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