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# pillar

«pillar» in Mova's school dictionary: **a tall, strong post of stone, wood or metal that holds up…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a pillar, pillars)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A pillar is a tall, strong post of stone, wood or metal that holds up part of a building or stands as a monument. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#m1)

2) A pillar of smoke, fire or cloud is a tall column of it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#m2)

3) A pillar of a community or group is an important person or idea that supports it: a pillar of the church. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In history: Greek and Roman temples with pillars. In the Bible: God led the Israelites by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; Lot's wife became a pillar of salt. In religion: the Five Pillars of Islam. Phrase (UK): «from pillar to post» means from one place to another without rest.

### examples

- The temple roof stood on tall stone pillars. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x1)
- A pillar of smoke rose from the bonfire. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x2)
- God led the Israelites with a pillar of cloud. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x3)
- Grandpa was a pillar of the community. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x4)
- The Five Pillars of Islam are the main duties of Muslims. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x5)
- In the UK, post boxes used to be called pillar boxes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x6)
- We were sent from pillar to post. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x7)
- Around and around the pillar ran the Princess. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/#x8)

### note

Countable. Similar: column (often round and decorated), post. Phrase: «pillar of strength» = someone who supports others in hard times.

### In the corpora

- [There are passages and rooms everywhere, pillars, arches and stone floors.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/40-willows-ch4-part4-the-city-under-the-wood/1/)
- [Ashoka's lion pillar is today a national emblem of India.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/history/8-ancient-india-ashoka-zero-and-our-numbers/18/)
- [But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.505/)
- [I am the God of Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow a vow unto Me.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.946/)
- [And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.987/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «pillar» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pillar/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.