colorado

¹ American  

[kol-uh-rad-oh, -rah-doh] / ˌkɒl əˈræd oʊ, -ˈrɑ doʊ /

adjective

1. (of cigars) of medium color and strength.

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Colorado ² American  

[kol-uh-rad-oh, -rah-doh, kaw-law-rah-thaw] / ˌkɒl əˈræd oʊ, -ˈrɑ doʊ, ˌkɔ lɔˈrɑ ðɔ /

noun

1. a state in the western United States. 104,247 sq. mi. (270,000 sq. km). Denver. CO (for use with zip code), Col., Colo.

2. a river flowing southwest from northern Colorado through Utah and Arizona into the Gulf of California: Grand Canyon; Boulder Dam. 1,450 miles (2,335 km) long.

3. a river flowing southeast from western Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. 840 miles (1,350 km) long.

4. Río Colorado a river in central Argentina, flowing southeast from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. 530 miles (853 km) long.

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Colorado British  

/ ˌkɒləˈrɑːdəʊ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Colo..   CO.  a state of the central US: consists of the Great Plains in the east and the Rockies in the west; drained chiefly by the Colorado, Arkansas, South Platte, and Rio Grande Rivers. Capital: Denver. Pop: 4 550 688 (2003 est). Area: 269 998 sq km (104 247 sq miles)

2. a river in SW North America, rising in the Rocky Mountains and flowing southwest to the Gulf of California: famous for the 1600 km (1000 miles) of canyons along its course. Length: about 2320 km (1440 miles)

3. a river in central Texas, flowing southeast to the Gulf of Mexico. Length: about 1450 km (900 miles)

4. a river in central Argentina, flowing southeast to the Atlantic. Length: about 850 km (530 miles)

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Colorado Cultural  

1. State in the west-central United States in the Rocky Mountains, bordered by Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, Nebraska and Kansas to the east, Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south, and Utah to the west. Its capital and largest city is Denver.

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Other Word Forms

• Coloradan adjective
• Coloradoan adjective

Etymology

Origin of colorado

< Spanish < Latin colōrātus colored. See color, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

The river’s Spanish name, colorado, or red, described the muddy, silt-laden waters that coursed through canyons.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2023

This jarred mole sauce cuts cooking time in half but with full-on, incredible flavor — especially the colorado, highlighting cacao and chile.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2022

La Carreta amps up the Chicano factor by instead smothering their eggs with chile verde and chile colorado.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2019

Topics: , , , , colorado capitol building, jared wright, jonathan singer, kurtis lee, Denver Post, John Hickenlooper, Gov. John Hickenlooper, , ,

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2014

Abuela did voices, and at the end of this and every story she’d say, “¡Y colorín, colorado, este cuento se ha acabado!”

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya