colon

UK: /ˈkəʊlən/ US: /ˈkoʊlən/ ,(kō′lən; for 4 kō′lon, kə lon′)

Inflections of 'colon' (n):

colons

npl (All usages, except the poetry sense)

cola

npl (For the poetry sense and the intestine sense)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

co•lon¹ /ˈkoʊlən/   n. [countable]

1. the sign (:) used to mark a major division in a sentence, indicating that what follows is further explanation of what precedes.
2. the sign (:) used to separate groups of numbers, as hours from minutes in 5:30, or the elements of a ratio or proportion in
   1: 2:: 3: 6.

co•lon² /ˈkoʊlən/   n. [countable] , pl. -lons, -la (-lə).

1. Anatomy the lower part of the large intestine extending to the rectum.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

co•lon¹  (kō′lən), n., pl. -lons for 1, -la (-lə) for 2.

1. the sign (:) used to mark a major division in a sentence, to indicate that what follows is an elaboration, summation, implication, etc., of what precedes;
   or to separate groups of numbers referring to different things, as hours from minutes in 5:30;
   or the members of a ratio or proportion, as in 1: 2:: 3: 6.
2. Poetry [Class. Pros.] one of the members or sections of a rhythmical period, consisting of a sequence of from two to six feet united under a principal ictus or beat.

• Greek kôlon limb, member, clause
• Latin
• 1580–90

co•lon²  (kō′lən), n., pl. -lons, -la (-lə). 

1. Anatomy the part of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum. See diag. under intestine. 
2. Anatomy, Zoology [Zool.] the portion of the digestive tract that is posterior to the stomach or gizzard and extends to the rectum.

• Greek kólon large intestine
• Latin
• Middle English 1350–1400

co•lon³  (kō lōn′; Sp. kô lôn′), n., pl. -lons, Sp. -lo•nes 

(-lô′nes). 
1. Currency the paper monetary unit of El Salvador, equal to 100 centavos. Abbr.: C.
2. Currency a cupronickel or steel coin and monetary unit of Costa Rica, equal to 100 centimos.

• American Spanish, after (Cristobal) Colón (Christopher) Columbus
• 1890–95

co•lon⁴  (kō′lon, kə lon′), n. 

1. a colonial farmer or plantation owner, esp. in Algeria.

• Latin colōnus colonist
• French
• 1600–10, in sense "husbandmen''; 1955–60 in present sense;

Co•lón  (kō lon′; Sp. kô lôn′), n. 

1. Place Names a seaport in Panama at the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal. 85,600.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

colon / ˈkəʊlən/ noun

1. ( -lons) the punctuation mark :, usually preceding an explanation or an example of what has gone before, a list, or an extended quotation
2. ( -lons) this mark used for certain other purposes, such as expressions of time, as in 2:45 p.m., or when a ratio is given in figures, as in 5:3

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin, from Greek kōlon limb, hence part of a strophe, clause of a sentence

colon / ˈkəʊlən/ noun ( -lons, -la / -lə/)

1. the part of the large intestine between the caecum and the rectum

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin: large intestine, from Greek kolon

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Colón / kɒˈlɒn koˈlɔn/ noun

1. a port in Panama, at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. Chief Caribbean port. Pop: 157 000 (2005 est)
   Former name: Aspinwall
2. Archipiélago de Colón / ˌartʃiˈpjelaɣo ðe/ ⇒
   the official name of the Galápagos Islands

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

colón / kəʊˈləʊn koˈlon/ noun ( -lons, -lones / -ˈlones/)

1. the standard monetary unit of Costa Rica, divided into 100 céntimos
2. the former standard monetary unit of El Salvador, divided into 100 centavos; replaced by the US dollar in 2001

Etymology: 19th Century: American Spanish, from Spanish, after Cristóbal Colón Christopher Columbus