Illustration of pilaster
- 1 pilaster
pilaster
noun
pi·las·ter
pi-ˈla-stər 
ˈpī-ˌla-
ˈpī-ˌla-
: an upright architectural member that is rectangular in plan and is structurally a pier but architecturally treated as a column and that usually projects a third of its width or less from the wall
Examples of pilaster in a Sentence
the rectangular pilasters spaced along the building's facade lend an air of classical grandeur
Recent Examples on the Web
Highlights of the home include a fireside grand salon, an art gallery that doubles as a safe room, and a movie theater festooned with black marble fluted pilasters and red velvet seats.
—
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024
On small pilasters sit 200-pound beach balls, cast in bronze and painted to match the room.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2024
Made of red sandstone, the pilaster depicts the Hindu god Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana, a sacred site in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
—News Desk, Artforum, 20 June 2024
The 12th-century fragment of a pilaster, or a rectangular architectural column in the side of a doorframe, was previously believed to have originated from Cambodia.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 June 2024
In the building’s northeast corner, a 2,400-square-foot fifth-floor spread, entered by way of a landmarked vestibule, exudes Gilded Age opulence with landmarked walls lined with mahogany pilasters, intricate moldings, ornate plaster ceilings, and massive arched windows.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2023
Still, Palais Royal, which got its name for its pink marble pilasters on its facade, features many modern updates and modifications.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2023
Among the innovations of these returnees was a distinctive form of architecture—a mélange of grand European and Latin American colonial styles rife with vaulted arches, ornate columns, pilasters.
—Tausif Noor, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023
On the ground floor, there’s a discreet private security office and an oval powder room just inside the front door, while pilasters and dentil moldings embellish the grand entrance gallery.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2023
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024
On small pilasters sit 200-pound beach balls, cast in bronze and painted to match the room.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2024
Made of red sandstone, the pilaster depicts the Hindu god Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana, a sacred site in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
—News Desk, Artforum, 20 June 2024
The 12th-century fragment of a pilaster, or a rectangular architectural column in the side of a doorframe, was previously believed to have originated from Cambodia.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 June 2024
In the building’s northeast corner, a 2,400-square-foot fifth-floor spread, entered by way of a landmarked vestibule, exudes Gilded Age opulence with landmarked walls lined with mahogany pilasters, intricate moldings, ornate plaster ceilings, and massive arched windows.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2023
Still, Palais Royal, which got its name for its pink marble pilasters on its facade, features many modern updates and modifications.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2023
Among the innovations of these returnees was a distinctive form of architecture—a mélange of grand European and Latin American colonial styles rife with vaulted arches, ornate columns, pilasters.
—Tausif Noor, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023
On the ground floor, there’s a discreet private security office and an oval powder room just inside the front door, while pilasters and dentil moldings embellish the grand entrance gallery.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pilaster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pilaster
Cite this Entry
“Pilaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilaster. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pilaster
noun
pi·las·ter
ˈpī-ˌlas-tər
: an upright rectangular column that ornaments or helps to support a wall from which it sticks out slightly
Medical Definition
pilaster
noun
pi·las·ter
pi-ˈlas-tər
: an elongated hardened ridge
especially
: a longitudinal bony ridge on the back of the femur
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