# Columbia

/kəˈɫəmbiə/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/columbia
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. North American river

noun · CEFR B2

a large river that flows through western Canada and the United States into the Pacific Ocean.

For teachers: a major river of the Pacific Northwest, rising in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and flowing through Washington and Oregon.

- The Columbia River provides a lot of hydroelectric power to the region.
- The Columbia basin supports a complex ecosystem that has been significantly altered by the construction of numerous hydroelectric dams during the twentieth century.

### 2. Columbia University

noun · CEFR B2

a famous and prestigious university located in New York City.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. poetic name for America

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

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

For teachers: 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.

### 4. film studio

noun · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: 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.

### 5. ancient supercontinent

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- Scientists study rocks to learn about the ancient continent of Columbia.
- Geologists use magnetic data from ancient rocks to map how Columbia broke apart into smaller continents.
- The assembly of Columbia marked a significant period in Earth's tectonic history, as it brought together cratons that would later form the foundations of modern North America and Eurasia.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.