Part 360

Columbic acid (Chem.), a weak acid derived from columbic or niobic oxide, Nb2O5; -- called also niobic acid.

Co*lum"bic, a. [From Columbo.] Pertaining to, or derived from, the columbo root.

Columbic acid (Chem.), an organic acid extracted from the columbo root as a bitter, yellow, amorphous substance.

Co*lum"bi*er (?), n. See Colombier.

Col"um*bif"er*ous (?), a. [Columbium + -ferous.] Producing or containing columbium.

Co*lum"bin (?), n. (Chem.) A white, crystalline, bitter substance. See Calumbin.

Col"um*bine (?), a. [L. columbinus, fr. columba dove.] Of or pertaining to a dove; dovelike; dove-colored. "Columbine innocency." Bacon.

Col"um*bine, n. [LL. columbina, L. columbinus dovelike, fr. columba dove: cf. F. colombine. Perh. so called from the beaklike spurs of its flowers.] 1. (Bot.) A plant of several species of the genus Aquilegia; as, A. vulgaris, or the common garden columbine; A. Canadensis, the wild red columbine of North America.

2. The mistress or sweetheart of Harlequin in pantomimes. Brewer.

Co*lum"bite (?), n. [Cf. F. colombite. See Columbium.] (Min.) A mineral of a black color, submetallic luster, and high specific specific gravity. It is a niobate (or columbate) of iron and manganese, containing tantalate of iron; -- first found in New England.

Co*lum"bi*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Columbia America.] (Chem.) A rare element of the vanadium group, first found in a variety of the mineral columbite occurring in Connecticut, probably at Haddam. Atomic weight 94.2. Symbol Cb or Nb. Now more commonly called niobium.

Co*lum"bo (?), n. (Med.) See Calumba.

Col`u*mel"la (?), n. [L., dim. of columen column. See Column.] 1. (Bot.) (a) An axis to which a carpel of a compound pistil may be attached, as in the case of the geranium; or which is left when a pod opens. (b)A columnlike axis in the capsules of mosses.

2. (Anat.) A term applied to various columnlike parts; as, the columella, or epipterygoid bone, in the skull of many lizards; the columella of the ear, the bony or cartilaginous rod connecting the tympanic membrane with the internal ear.

3. (Zo÷l.) (a) The upright pillar in the axis of most univalve shells. (b) The central pillar or axis of the calicles of certain corals.

Col`u*mel"li*form (?), a. [Columella + -form.] Shaped like a little column, or columella.

Col"umn (?), n. [L. columna, fr. columen, culmen, fr. cellere (used only in comp.), akin to E. excel, and prob. to holm. See Holm, and cf. Colonel.] 1. (Arch.) A kind of pillar; a cylindrical or polygonal support for a roof, ceiling, statue, etc., somewhat ornamented, and usually composed of base, shaft, and capital. See Order.

2. Anything resembling, in form or position, a column in architecture; an upright body or mass; a shaft or obelisk; as, a column of air, of water, of mercury, etc.; the Column Vend˘me; the spinal column.

3. (Mil.) (a) A body of troops formed in ranks, one behind the other; -- contradistinguished from line. Compare Ploy, and Deploy. (b) A small army.

4. (Naut.) A number of ships so arranged as to follow one another in single or double file or in squadrons; -- in distinction from "line", where they are side by side.

5. (Print.) A perpendicular set of lines, not extending across the page, and separated from other matter by a rule or blank space; as, a column in a newspaper.

6. (Arith.) A perpendicular line of figures.

7. (Bot.) The body formed by the union of the stamens in the Mallow family, or of the stamens and pistil in the orchids.

Attached column. See under Attach, v. t. -- Clustered column. See under Cluster, v. t. -- Column rule, a thin strip of brass separating columns of type in the form, and making a line between them in printing.

Co*lum"*nar (?), a. [L. columnaris, fr. columna.] Formed in columns; having the form of a column or columns; like the shaft of a column.

Columnar epithelium (Anat.), epithelium in which the cells are prismatic in form, and set upright on the surface they cover. -- Columnar structure (Geol.), a structure consisting of more or less regular columns, usually six-sided, but sometimes with eight or more sides. The columns are often fractured transversely, with a cup joint, showing a concave surface above. This structure is characteristic of certain igneous rocks, as basalt, and is due to contraction in cooling.

Col`um*nar"i*ty (?), n. The state or quality of being columnar.

Co*lum"na*ted (?), a. Having columns; as, columnated temples.