column

column — 名詞

1. One of the tall, narrow text sections that make up a printed page in a newspaper

1.名詞B2
釋義

欄

報紙雜誌頁面上的垂直文字區塊

One of the tall, narrow text sections that make up a printed page in a newspaper or journal, arranged side by side so that readers scan down each section separately.

例句

The article ran across three columns on the front page of the morning paper.

這篇文章佔了晨報頭版的三個欄位。

collocation: across + number + columns

Beatriz found the announcement in the right-hand column of the local newspaper.

Beatriz 在地方報紙的右欄發現了那則公告。

同義詞
  • section

    less specific — a section can be horizontal or vertical

  • strip

    emphasises the narrow, rectangular shape

用法筆記

Often used with a number to indicate width: a three-column layout, a five-column table. Can also be used attributively in compound nouns: column width, column inch.

常見錯誤

❌She wrote a column about gardening.' (when meaning a regular article).
✅She wrote a gardening column.
💡Sense 1 refers to the physical text block on a page, not the article content. For the regular article, see sense 2.

2. A writer's regular contribution that appears in a printed or online periodical,

2.名詞B2
釋義

專欄

由同一作者定期撰寫的主題文章

A writer's regular contribution that appears in a printed or online periodical, running on a fixed schedule and typically covering a single subject area.

例句

Ravi writes a weekly column about environmental issues for the local paper.

Ravi 每週為當地報紙寫一篇環保專欄。

collocation: write(s) a + [frequency] + column about + [topic]

The editor asked Hana to contribute a monthly column on parenting advice.

編輯邀請 Hana 每月撰寫一篇親子教養專欄。

同義詞
  • article

    broader — any piece of writing, not necessarily regular or by the same author

  • feature

    usually longer and more in-depth than a typical column

  • editorial

    specifically expresses the newspaper's official opinion, not a personal columnist's view

用法筆記

Frequently preceded by a possessive noun or the writer's name + apostrophe-s (Ravi's column, the editor's column). Common modifiers specify frequency: weekly column, monthly column, regular column.

常見錯誤

❌I read an interesting column in the science section.' (ambiguous).
✅I read an interesting column by Dr. Chen in the science section.
💡Specify the author to avoid confusion with sense 1.

3. A set of words, numbers, or data running from top to bottom on a page, computer

3.名詞C1
釋義

欄位

表格或試算表中的垂直資料區

A set of words, numbers, or data running from top to bottom on a page, computer screen, or inside a table or spreadsheet.

例句

The spreadsheet has one column for product names and another for prices.

這份試算表有一個產品名稱欄位和一個價格欄位。

collocation: column for + [data type]

Enter your name in the first column and your email address in the second column.

在第一欄輸入姓名，在第二欄輸入電子郵件地址。

同義詞
  • vertical line

    everyday language, less technical

  • field

    database-specific term for a single category of data

反義詞
  • row

    horizontal arrangement of data

用法筆記

Common in computing and data-entry contexts. Contrasts with row (horizontal): a row runs left to right while a column runs top to bottom. In databases, often called a field.

常見錯誤

❌Put the names in the top row and the prices in the bottom row.' (confusing row and column).
✅Put the names in the left column and the prices in the right column.
💡A column runs vertically; a row runs horizontally.

4. A tall vertical post, usually carved from stone, that supports part of a structu

4.名詞B2
釋義

石柱

支撐建築物或作為紀念碑的直立柱體

A tall vertical post, usually carved from stone, that supports part of a structure such as a roof or balcony, or that is erected by itself to honour a person or event.

例句

The ancient temple was supported by twelve marble columns carved with flowers.

這座古廟由十二根刻有花卉圖案的大理石柱支撐。

passive: was supported by + [number] + [material] + columns

White stone columns line the front of the government building in the square.

廣場上的政府大樓前方排列著一排白色石柱。

同義詞
  • pillar

    very close in meaning; pillar can be made of any strong material and may also be metaphorical (a pillar of society)

  • post

    simpler and less decorative — often a plain piece of wood or metal

  • pilaster

    a decorative column attached to a wall, not freestanding

用法筆記

In classical architecture, columns typically consist of three parts: base, shaft, and capital. Common types include Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Frequently used with material adjectives: marble column, granite column, wooden column.

常見錯誤

❌The pillar of the spreadsheet shows the dates.' (confusing architectural and data senses).
✅The marble column at the entrance is over two thousand years old.
💡Use pillar or column for architecture; use column only in the data sense for tables.

5. Something that has a long, thin, upright shape, similar to a pillar — for exampl

5.名詞B1
釋義

柱狀物

煙、水、塵等形成的細長直立形態

Something that has a long, thin, upright shape, similar to a pillar — for example, smoke rising straight up, a narrow stream of liquid, or a tall geological formation.

例句

A thin column of smoke rose from the chimney into the cold evening sky.

一縷煙柱從煙囪升起，飄入寒冷的夜空。

pattern: column of + [substance]

A column of water shot up from the broken pipe in the street below.

一道水柱從下方街上的破裂水管中噴出。

同義詞
  • plume

    specifically of smoke, steam, or feathers — wider at the top

  • shaft

    emphasises a straight, narrow form, often of light or a solid object

  • pillar

    can be used metaphorically for shapes (a pillar of smoke) but less common than column

用法筆記

Most common in the pattern column of + [substance] (air, smoke, water, dust, fire, gas). The substance is typically something that can form a vertical stream or shape. Distinguished from sense 4 in that these columns are not man-made architectural structures.

6. A long, single-file arrangement of people, vehicles, or soldiers moving forward

6.名詞B1
釋義

縱隊

人或車前後排列成一直線的行進隊伍

A long, single-file arrangement of people, vehicles, or soldiers moving forward one behind another.

例句

A column of army trucks drove slowly along the narrow road toward the base.

一縱隊軍用卡車沿著狹窄的道路緩緩駛向基地。

pattern: column of + [vehicles]

The marching band formed a column that stretched across the entire football field.

行進樂隊排成一列縱隊，橫跨了整座足球場。

同義詞
  • line

    more general; can be single file or side by side

  • file

    specifically single file, one behind another; common in military and marching contexts

  • procession

    slow, ceremonial movement of people or vehicles

反義詞
  • row

    side-by-side arrangement, not single file

用法筆記

In military contexts, a column moves in single file (one behind another), contrasting with a line (side by side). For civilian traffic or pedestrians, column suggests a continuous, organised stream rather than a random crowd.

常見錯誤

❌The students stood in a column facing the teacher.' (should be row).
✅The students stood in a column as they marched onto the field.
💡A column is one behind another (depth); a row is side by side (width).