cola

¹ American  

[koh-luh] / ˈkoʊ lə /

noun

1. a carbonated soft drink containing an extract made from kola nuts or an artificial imitation, together with sweeteners and other flavorings.

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cola ² American  

[koh-luh] / ˈkoʊ lə /

noun

1. a plural of colon.

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cola ³ American  

[koh-luh] / ˈkoʊ lə /

noun

1. a plural of colon.

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COLA ⁴ American  

[koh-luh] / ˈkoʊ lə /

noun

1. cost-of-living adjustment: an automatic increase in wages, Social Security, pensions, etc., to cover the rising cost of living due to inflation.

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COLA ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. cost of living adjustment: an increase in benefit payments according to the rate of inflation

2. cost of living allowance: extra money paid to workers in areas where the cost of living is more expensive

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cola ² British  

/ ˈkəʊlə /

noun

1. either of two tropical sterculiaceous trees, Cola nitida or C. acuminata, widely cultivated in tropical regions for their seeds See cola nut

2. a sweet carbonated drink flavoured with cola nuts

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cola ³ British  

/ ˈkəʊlə /

noun

1. a plural of colon 1 colon 2

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Etymology

Origin of cola

First recorded in 1885–90; spelling variant of kola, extracted from the trademark names of such drinks, as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, etc.

Example Sentences

In what may reignite the cola wars, Pepsi's spot for its Zero Sugar line features a polar bear — long associated with rival Coca-Cola — suffering an existential crisis after picking Pepsi in a blind taste test.

From Barron's

With its ginger beer and fancy colas, Fentimans taps into the growing "mindful drinking" trend.

From BBC

“Nicely done, niñas. You’ve behaved so well that I’m taking you to the beach. Go change. I’ll get sandwiches and colas. Be ready in ten minutes!”

From Literature

He likened it to the cola wars of the 1980s—but warned it may not be a winning strategy.

From The Wall Street Journal

It recently unveiled a prebiotic version of its classic Pepsi cola.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• soda
• soda pop