Editing Column (section)

===Nomenclature===
Most classical columns arise from a basis, or base, that rests on the [[stylobate]], or [[Foundation (engineering)|foundation]], except for those of the [[Doric order]], which usually rest directly on the stylobate.  The basis may consist of several elements, beginning with a wide, square slab known as a [[plinth]].  The simplest bases consist of the plinth alone, sometimes separated from the column by a convex circular cushion known as a [[molding (decorative)#types|torus]].  More elaborate bases include two toruses, separated by a concave section or channel known as a scotia or trochilus.  Scotiae could also occur in pairs, separated by a convex section called an [[astragal]], or bead, narrower than a torus.  Sometimes these sections were accompanied by still narrower convex sections, known as [[Annulet (architecture)|annulet]]s or fillets.<ref name="Clarke">[[Hewson Clarke]] and [[John Dougall (writer)|John Dougall]], ''The Cabinet of Arts'', T. Kinnersley, London (1817), pp. 271, 272.</ref><ref name="Architectural Glossary">"Architectural Glossary", in ''The Universal Decorator'', Francis Benjamin Thompson, Ed., vol. III (1859).</ref>

At the top of the shaft is a [[capital (architecture)|capital]], upon which the roof or other architectural elements rest.  In the case of Doric columns, the capital usually consists of a round, tapering cushion, or echinus, supporting a square slab, known as an abax or [[abacus (architecture)|abacus]]. [[Ionic order|Ionic capitals]] feature a pair of [[volute]]s, or scrolls, while [[Corinthian order|Corinthian capitals]] are decorated with reliefs in the form of acanthus leaves.  Either type of capital could be accompanied by the same moldings as the base.<ref name="Clarke"/><ref name="Architectural Glossary"/>  In the case of free-standing columns, the decorative elements atop the shaft are known as a [[finial]].

Modern columns may be constructed out of steel, poured or precast concrete, or brick, left bare or clad in an architectural covering, or veneer.  Used to support an arch, an [[Impost (architecture)|impost]], or pier, is the topmost member of a column. The bottom-most part of the arch, called the springing, rests on the impost.