col
noun
a pass or depression in a mountain range or ridge.
col
1 American
[kol, kawl]
/ kɒl, kɔl /
noun
-
cols
plural
-
Physical Geography. a pass or depression in a mountain range or ridge.
-
Meteorology. the region of relatively low pressure between two anticyclones.
COL
2
American
col-
3
American
col-
4
American
col.
5
American
abbreviation
col.
6
American
abbreviation
-
collected.
-
collector.
-
college.
-
collegiate.
-
colonial.
-
colony.
-
color.
-
colored.
-
column.
Col.
7
American
abbreviation
-
Colombia.
-
Colonel.
-
Colorado.
-
Bible. Colossians.
Col.
1
British
abbreviation
-
Colombia(n)
-
Colonel
-
Bible Colossians
col
2
British
/ kɒl, kɔl /
noun
-
the lowest point of a ridge connecting two mountain peaks, often constituting a pass
-
meteorol a pressure region between two anticyclones and two depressions, associated with variable weather
col-
3
British
prefix
col-
4
British
prefix
col.
5
British
abbreviation
Usage
What does col- mean? Col- is a combining form used like a prefix representing the word colon, the part of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum. It is often used in medical terms. Col- comes from the Greek kólon, meaning “large intestine.” The Greek kólon is also the source of such words as colic and colicky, a word which many parents may know all too well. Col-, when it refers to the colon, is a variant of colo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use colo- article.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of col1
1850–55; < French < Latin collum neck
Origin of col.5
From the Latin word colā
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On Friday, that low pressure is expected to clear away and leave the UK in a col, or neutral weather zone, with neither high or low pressure in charge.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
Those textures — others come along, including percussive col legno and open fifths that flip steady ground into weightless suspension — glide among the instruments, a vocabulary ordered then reordered, always expressing a fresh thought.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2023
There, two summit finishes — the col du Granon, at 2,413 metres above sea level, then l’Alpe d’Huez and its 21 hairpin bends — will prove a tough challenge for the peloton.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2021
It took them a week to extract two cores in a col — or saddle between two peaks — at about 6,000 metres above sea level.
From Nature ● Sep. 3, 2019
This place was connected with our peak by a snowy col which had now to be reached by a long traverse over a South-facing slope.
From Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 by Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
ReelShort is owned by Crazy Maple Studio, a company in Northern California that is backed by the Beijing-based digital publisher COL Group.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2024
I most likely don’t meet the requirements for low income, as I make quite a bit, but live in a pretty high COL area.
From Slate ● Nov. 21, 2022
He did a "good job" of handling the economy, according to April Tan, chief equity strategist of COL Financial in Manila.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2022
Greg Holland, COL - Holland had two straight seasons of terrific strikeout-to-walk ratios in 2013-14 before regressing in 2015, which also led into offseason Tommy John surgery.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 25, 2017
In this position both parties struggle to ledge of rocks, and COL.
From Two Men of Sandy Bar; a drama by Bret Harte
Making humorous messages pop up on col- leagues' screens or taking remote control of a keyboard were more mischief than malice.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2020
Other great pictures in the Clarke col- lection: Mrs. Richard Yates. by Gilbert Stuart, as a hawk-nosed old lady in white lace cap and satin gown stitching away at her fancy work.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unkind are pictures of bewhiskered, bejuleped col- onels.
From Time Magazine Archive
Population of the Netherlands and its col- onies and possessions: 56,399,932.
From Time Magazine Archive
Air molecules scatter the short wavelength col- ors, so only soft, warm pinks and yellows and oranges shine through.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
July 30, 1925 Sirs: Issue of July 27, Page 15, 2d col.:
From Time Magazine Archive
For Illustrated Magazine, three poems and a five col. story.'
From A Book of Irish Verse Selected from modern writers with an introduction and notes by W. B. Yeats by W. B. (William Butler) Yeats
Errata.—P. 25., last line, read "campus" for "campres;" p. 26., fourth line, read "iaro" for "iars;" p. 36., 2nd col. line 18., read "regularity" for "irregularity."
From Notes and Queries, Number 194, July 16, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by George Bell
No. 41., p. 166., col. 1., line 8 from bottom, for "Cordius" read "Cardin"; p. 171., l. 29., for "havers" read "haver"; and p. 172., l. 24., for "Murton" read "Muirton."
From Notes and Queries, Number 42, August 17, 1850 by Various
"Inchiguin" should be "Inchiquin"; p. 106., col. 2.,
From Notes and Queries, Number 38, July 20, 1850 by Various
“He enriched our lives and bound our group with love, care and respect. Not sure how we can go on without his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Rest in Peace.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2024
“The most popular soap opera on television this week starred Lt. Col. Oliver North in the continuing saga of the Iran-Contra hearings,” United Press International reported.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 9, 2022
"Col. West is experiencing a low grade fever and light body aches. Out of concern for public health, Col. West is suspending in-person events until receiving an all-clear indication."
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2021
"The time, date, and location of the proceedings have not been determined. Lt. Col. Scheller will be afforded all due process," the statement continued.
From Fox News ● Sep. 27, 2021
“Aw, c'mon, Col. You screwed this one up, bro, not him.”
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
The penultimate parcours took us up the cols du Telegraph and Galibier, where the midday sun and too much caution with a fully-loaded bike combined to melt my disc brake pads until just metal remained.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 18, 2019
The innovation of this year’s Tour: a summit finish on one of the most legendary cols in the race, with the Col de Vars beforehand.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 29, 2017
Our pilot deftly navigated the helicopter up and over cols, passing close enough to some peaks that glacier-formed striations in the cliff bands and the snow’s weather-sculpted textures were clearly discernible.
From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2014
The Route Thermale goes on up the latter, passing through southeast to Luz, and then stretching eastward again to Barèges and over successive cols to Bigorre and Luchon.
From A Midsummer Drive Through the Pyrenees by Edwin Asa Dix
These are the passes or cols, which may usually be found by tracing a stream which descends from the mountains up to its source.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 1 A to Amide by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
