diff --git a/ibis/expr/api.py b/ibis/expr/api.py
index e3a05fce6f13..5b7a2232094f 100644
--- a/ibis/expr/api.py
+++ b/ibis/expr/api.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import ibis.expr.schema as sch
 import ibis.expr.types as ir
 from ibis.backends.base import BaseBackend, connect
+from ibis.expr import selectors
 from ibis.expr.decompile import decompile
 from ibis.expr.deferred import Deferred
 from ibis.expr.schema import Schema
@@ -146,6 +147,7 @@
     'rows_with_max_lookback',
     'schema',
     'Schema',
+    'selectors',
     'sequence',
     'set_backend',
     'show_sql',
diff --git a/ibis/expr/selectors.py b/ibis/expr/selectors.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..606f16bc7008
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ibis/expr/selectors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+"""Construct column selectors."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+from typing import Callable, Iterable, Sequence
+
+import ibis.expr.datatypes as dt
+import ibis.expr.types as ir
+from ibis import util
+
+
+class Selector:
+    __slots__ = ("predicate",)
+
+    def __init__(self, predicate: Callable[[ir.Column], bool]) -> None:
+        """Construct a `Selector` with `predicate`."""
+        self.predicate = predicate
+
+    def expand(self, table: ir.Table) -> Sequence[ir.Column]:
+        """Evaluate `self.predicate` on every column of `table`."""
+        return [col for column in table.columns if self.predicate(col := table[column])]
+
+    def __and__(self, other: Selector) -> Selector:
+        """Compute the conjunction of two `Selectors`."""
+        return self.__class__(lambda col: self.predicate(col) and other.predicate(col))
+
+    def __or__(self, other: Selector) -> Selector:
+        """Compute the disjunction of two `Selectors`."""
+        return self.__class__(lambda col: self.predicate(col) or other.predicate(col))
+
+    def __invert__(self) -> Selector:
+        """Compute the logical negation of two `Selectors`."""
+        return self.__class__(lambda col: not self.predicate(col))
+
+
+def where(predicate: Callable[[ir.Value], bool]) -> Selector:
+    """Return columns that satisfy `predicate`.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> t = ibis.table(dict(a="float32"), name="t")
+    >>> t.select(s.where(lambda col: col.get_name() == "a"))
+    r0 := UnboundTable: t
+      a float32
+
+    Selection[r0]
+      selections:
+        a: r0.a
+    """
+    return Selector(predicate)
+
+
+def numeric() -> Selector:
+    """Return numeric columns.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> import ibis.selectors as s
+    >>> t = ibis.table(dict(a="int", b="string", c="array<string>"), name="t")
+    >>> t
+    r0 := UnboundTable: t
+      a int64
+      b string
+      c array<string>
+    >>> t.select(s.numeric())  # `a` has integer type, so it's numeric
+    r0 := UnboundTable: t
+      a int64
+      b string
+      c array<string>
+
+    Selection[r0]
+      selections:
+        a: r0.a
+    """
+    return Selector(lambda col: col.type().is_numeric())
+
+
+def of_type(dtype: dt.DataType | str | type[dt.DataType]) -> Selector:
+    """Select columns of type `dtype`."""
+    if isinstance(dtype, type):
+        predicate = lambda col, dtype=dtype: isinstance(col.type(), dtype)
+    else:
+        dtype = dt.dtype(dtype)
+        predicate = lambda col, dtype=dtype: col.type() == dtype
+    return where(predicate)
+
+
+def startswith(prefixes: str | tuple[str, ...]) -> Selector:
+    """Select columns whose name starts with one of `prefixes`."""
+    return where(lambda col, prefixes=prefixes: col.get_name().startswith(prefixes))
+
+
+def endswith(suffixes: str | tuple[str, ...]) -> Selector:
+    """Select columns whose name ends with one of `suffixes`."""
+    return where(lambda col, suffixes=suffixes: col.get_name().endswith(suffixes))
+
+
+def contains(
+    needles: str | tuple[str, ...], how: Callable[[Iterable[bool]], bool] = any
+) -> Selector:
+    """Return columns whose name contains `needles`."""
+
+    def predicate(
+        col: ir.Column,
+        needles: str | tuple[str, ...] = needles,
+        how: Callable[[Iterable[bool]], bool] = how,
+    ) -> bool:
+        name = col.get_name()
+        return how(needle in name for needle in util.promote_list(needles))
+
+    return where(predicate)
+
+
+def matches(regex: str | re.Pattern) -> Selector:
+    """Return columns matching the regular expression `regex`."""
+    pattern = re.compile(regex)
+    return where(
+        lambda col, pattern=pattern: pattern.search(col.get_name()) is not None
+    )
diff --git a/ibis/expr/types/relations.py b/ibis/expr/types/relations.py
index bf2cfdd213f9..38f3ae2b6a62 100644
--- a/ibis/expr/types/relations.py
+++ b/ibis/expr/types/relations.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import ibis.expr.operations as ops
 from ibis import util
 from ibis.expr.deferred import Deferred
+from ibis.expr.selectors import Selector
 from ibis.expr.types.core import Expr
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -718,7 +719,10 @@ def select(
 
         exprs = list(
             itertools.chain(
-                itertools.chain.from_iterable(map(util.promote_list, exprs)),
+                itertools.chain.from_iterable(
+                    util.promote_list(e.expand(self) if isinstance(e, Selector) else e)
+                    for e in exprs
+                ),
                 (
                     self._ensure_expr(expr).name(name)
                     for name, expr in named_exprs.items()
diff --git a/ibis/tests/expr/test_selectors.py b/ibis/tests/expr/test_selectors.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..92c854c9650f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ibis/tests/expr/test_selectors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import re
+
+import pytest
+
+import ibis
+import ibis.common.exceptions as exc
+import ibis.expr.datatypes as dt
+from ibis import selectors as s
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def t():
+    return ibis.table(
+        dict(
+            a="int",
+            b="string",
+            c="array<string>",
+            d="struct<a: array<map<string, array<float>>>>",
+            e="float",
+            f="decimal(3, 1)",
+            g="array<array<map<float, float>>>",
+            ga="string",
+        ),
+        name="t",
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "sel",
+    [s.where(lambda _: False), s.startswith("X"), s.endswith("🙂")],
+    ids=["false", "startswith", "endswith"],
+)
+def test_empty_selection(t, sel):
+    with pytest.raises(exc.IbisError):
+        t.select(sel)
+
+
+def test_where(t):
+    assert t.select(s.where(lambda _: True)).equals(t.select(*t.columns))
+
+
+def test_numeric(t):
+    assert t.select(s.numeric()).equals(t.select("a", "e", "f"))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("obj", "expected"),
+    [(dt.Array, ("c", "g")), ("float", ("e",)), (dt.Decimal(3, 1), ("f",))],
+    ids=["type", "string", "instance"],
+)
+def test_of_type(t, obj, expected):
+    assert t.select(s.of_type(obj)).equals(t.select(*expected))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("prefixes", "expected"),
+    [("a", ("a",)), (("a", "e"), ("a", "e"))],
+    ids=["string", "tuple"],
+)
+def test_startswith(t, prefixes, expected):
+    assert t.select(s.startswith(prefixes)).equals(t.select(*expected))
+
+
+def test_endswith(t):
+    assert t.select(s.endswith(("a", "d"))).equals(t.select("a", "d", "ga"))
+
+
+def test_contains(t):
+    assert t.select(s.contains("a")).equals(t.select("a", "ga"))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("rx", "expected"),
+    [("e|f", ("e", "f")), (re.compile("e|f"), ("e", "f"))],
+    ids=["string", "pattern"],
+)
+def test_matches(t, rx, expected):
+    assert t.select(s.matches(rx)).equals(t.select(expected))
+
+
+def test_compose_or(t):
+    assert t.select(s.contains("a") | s.startswith("d")).equals(
+        t.select("a", "d", "ga")
+    )
+
+
+def test_compose_and(t):
+    assert t.select(s.contains("a") & s.contains("g")).equals(t.select("ga"))
+
+
+def test_compose_not(t):
+    assert t.select(~s.numeric()).equals(t.select("b", "c", "d", "g", "ga"))