pillar
pillar — 名詞
- pillarsingular
- pillarsplural
1. A tall upright structure built from materials such as stone or steel, used to su
柱子
支撐建築的直立結構
A tall upright structure built from materials such as stone or steel, used to support the roof or upper parts of a building, or placed on its own as a memorial.
The old temple is supported by twelve stone pillars carved with flowers and animals.
這座古老寺廟由十二根雕刻著花朵和動物的石柱支撐。
collocation: stone pillars / supported by pillars
Megan leaned against a marble pillar near the entrance while waiting for her friend.
Megan 靠在入口附近的一根大理石柱上等朋友。
collocation: marble pillar
Workers used metal pillars to keep the bridge steady during the repair work.
工人們用金屬柱來維持橋樑在維修期間的穩定。
A row of concrete pillars marks the front of the government building.
一排水泥柱標示著政府大樓的正門位置。
文法句型
pillar + of + material
pillar + in/at + location
用法筆記
Countable noun. Often used with a material name (stone pillar, marble pillar, wooden pillar) or a number (ten pillars, a row of pillars).
常見錯誤
2. A person who plays a vital role in a group, organization, or community and is st
支柱；核心
團體中不可或缺的成員或基本原則
A person who plays a vital role in a group, organization, or community and is strongly relied upon; a core belief, practice, or principle that supports a system or institution.
Kabir has been a pillar of the local church community for over thirty years.
Kabir 三十年來一直是當地教會社區的支柱。
collocation: a pillar of [community]
Honesty is one of the pillars of their family values.
誠實是他們家庭價值觀的核心之一。
collocation: one of the pillars of [system/value]
Talia's grandmother was a pillar of strength during the family's difficult times.
Talia 的祖母在家庭艱困時期是大家的力量支柱。
The rule of law is a fundamental pillar of a democratic society.
法治是民主社會的基本支柱。
- mainstay
similar meaning but slightly less formal; emphasises the person's reliability over time
- cornerstone
used for principles or foundations rather than people; suggests something everything else is built on
- foundation
the base that supports everything; less personal than 'pillar'
- weakness
a person or element that cannot be relied upon
- underminer
someone who actively weakens a group or system
文法句型
pillar + of + [community/group]
pillar + of + [quality]
one of the pillars + of + [system]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, a quality, or a principle. Frequently used in the pattern 'a pillar of [group or quality]'. The phrase 'a pillar of strength' is a common fixed expression.
常見錯誤
3. A tall, narrow column-like mass formed by a substance such as smoke, rock, dust,
柱狀體
煙、岩石等形成的柱形物體
A tall, narrow column-like mass formed by a substance such as smoke, rock, dust, or water.
A pillar of black smoke rose from the factory after the explosion.
爆炸後，工廠升起一道黑煙柱。
collocation: pillar of smoke
Hikers walked between two tall pillars of red rock in the desert canyon.
健行者在沙漠峽谷中兩道高聳的紅岩柱之間走過。
collocation: pillars of rock
Lien pointed at a pillar of water shooting from a broken pipe in the street.
Lien 指著街上破裂水管噴出的水柱。
A dark pillar of dust moved across the dry farmland as the wind grew stronger.
隨著風勢增強，一道暗色的塵柱掠過乾旱的農田。
文法句型
pillar + of + [substance]
用法筆記
Always followed by 'of' and a substance noun. Commonly describes smoke, dust, rock, water, or fire in vertical column form.
pillar — 動詞
- pillarpresent simple I / you / we / they
- pillars3rd person singular
- pillaring-ing form
- pillaredpast simple
1. To support or reinforce a structure by adding pillars, or to strengthen an organ
支撐；鞏固
用柱子加強或鞏固結構
To support or reinforce a structure by adding pillars, or to strengthen an organisation or idea so that it becomes more stable.
Engineers decided to pillar the old bridge with steel supports before the rainy season.
工程師決定在雨季前用鋼架支撐這座舊橋。
grammar: transitive literal sense — pillar a structure
The ancient hall was pillared with massive granite columns that rose to the ceiling.
這座古老的大廳以巨大的花崗岩柱支撐，柱子直達天花板。
passive: be pillared with [material]
The sagging wall of the old barn was carefully pillared to prevent further collapse.
舊穀倉傾斜的牆被仔細地用支柱加固，以防止進一步坍塌。
An expert stonemason spent the entire summer pillaring the cathedral's damaged archway.
一位專業石匠花了整個夏天為大教堂受損的拱門加裝支柱。
- weaken
to make a structure or system less strong
文法句型
pillar + [object]
be pillared + with + [material]
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice, especially when describing how a structure was built. The literal sense ('support with pillars') is more common than the figurative sense.