columbia

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. a famous and prestigious university located in New York City.

n. a private Ivy League research university in Upper Manhattan, New York City, established in 1754.

“She moved to New York to study journalism at Columbia.”

“Columbia remains one of the most selective institutions in the United States, consistently ranking among the top universities globally for research output.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary · Archaic

n. a poetic or old-fashioned name for the United States of America.

n. a historical and poetic appellation for the United States, often personified as a female figure.

“Old songs sometimes refer to the United States as Columbia.”

“In nineteenth-century political cartoons, Columbia was frequently depicted as a stately woman representing the virtues of the American republic.”

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Theater

n. a major American company that produces movies, known as Columbia Pictures.

n. a major American film production and distribution company, currently a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group.

“The movie was produced by Columbia and released in theaters last summer.”

“The iconic logo of Columbia Pictures features a woman holding a torch, a visual reference to the historical personification of the nation.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. a giant landmass that scientists believe existed on Earth billions of years ago.

n. a Proterozoic supercontinent, also known as Nuna, thought to have existed approximately 2.1 to 1.8 billion years ago.

“Geologists study rocks to learn how the supercontinent Columbia broke apart.”

“The assembly of Columbia is thought to have been completed by global-scale collisional events, marking a significant period in Earth's tectonic history.”