from pillar to post Definition

pillar
noun

1. A vertical post of wood, stone, metal or concrete serving as a support to a main structure; a column.

Thesaurus: column, post, shaft, mast, pedestal, baluster, stanchion.
2. Any slender vertical mass of something, eg of smoke, rock, etc.
3. A strong and reliable supporter of a particular cause or organization.

Example: He is a pillar of the village community
Thesaurus: support, prop, upright, mainstay, bastion.

Idiom: from pillar to post

From one place to another, especially moving between these in desperation, frustration, etc15c as from post to pillar, derived from real tennis and referring to the way the ball is sent wildly about the court.
Example: rushing from pillar to post in search of a cash machine

Etymology: 13c: from French piler, from Latin pila pillar.