1. a small column-like anatomical structure
Usage: anatomy
2. the central column of a spiral shell
Usage: biology
3. the central axis of a coiled gastropod shell around which the whorls are arranged
Usage: malacology

Examples

• The columella of the snail shell was clearly visible when viewed from below.
• Anatomists identified the columella as a key structural element.
• The fossil’s columella remained intact despite millions of years of erosion.
• Marine biologists use the columella to help classify different gastropod species.
• The columella provides structural support within the spiral shell.
• Researchers measured the columella to determine the shell’s growth pattern.