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cola1

or ko·la

[koh-luh]
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noun
  1. a carbonated soft drink containing an extract made from kola nuts, together with sweeteners and other flavorings.
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Origin of cola1

1920–25; spelling variant of kola, extracted from the trademark names of such drinks, as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, etc.

cola2

[koh-luh]
noun
  1. a plural of colon1.
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cola3

[koh-luh]
noun
  1. a plural of colon2.
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COLA

[koh-luh]
noun
  1. cost-of-living adjustment: an escalator clause, especially in union contracts, that grants automatic wage increases to cover the rising cost of living due to inflation.
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colon1

[koh-luh n]
noun, plural co·lons for 1, co·la [koh-luh] /ˈkoʊ 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. Classical Prosody. 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.
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Origin of colon1

1580–90; < Latin < Greek kôlon limb, member, clause

colon2

[koh-luh n]
noun, plural co·lons, co·la [koh-luh] /ˈkoʊ lə/.
  1. Anatomy. the part of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum.
  2. Zoology. the portion of the digestive tract that is posterior to the stomach or gizzard and extends to the rectum.
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Origin of colon2

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek kólon large intestine

colon3

[koh-lohn; Spanish kaw-lawn]
noun, plural co·lons, Spanish co·lo·nes [kaw-law-nes] /kɔˈlɔ nɛs/.
  1. the paper monetary unit of El Salvador, equal to 100 centavos. Abbreviation: C.
  2. a cupronickel or steel coin and monetary unit of Costa Rica, equal to 100 centimos.
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Origin of colon3

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

colon4

[koh-lon, kuh-lon]
noun
  1. a colonial farmer or plantation owner, especially in Algeria.
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Origin of colon4

1600–10, in sense “husbandmen”; 1955–60 in present sense; < French < Latin colōnus colonist
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

sodacolapoptonic

Examples from the Web for cola

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Most important of all, they are associated with the fate of Cola di Rienzo.

    Pagan and Christian Rome

    Rodolfo Lanciani

  • Cola had his first stomach-ache, was hurt, was miserable, prepared to howl.

    Little Novels of Italy

    Maurice Henry Hewlett

  • Cola di Rienzi has proposed a Code of Law that shall be our shield.

    Rienzi

    Edward Bulwer Lytton

  • Who should see that the shield become what he proposes, but Cola di Rienzi?

    Rienzi

    Edward Bulwer Lytton

  • The chronicler of the life of Cola, however, takes no notice of this ceremony.

    The Makers of Modern Rome

    Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant

British Dictionary definitions for cola

cola1

kola

noun
  1. either of two tropical sterculiaceous trees, Cola nitida or C. acuminata, widely cultivated in tropical regions for their seedsSee cola nut
  2. a sweet carbonated drink flavoured with cola nuts
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Word Origin

C18: from kola, probably variant of Mandingo kolo nut

cola2

noun
  1. a plural of colon 1 (def. 3), colon 2
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COLA

abbreviation for US
  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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colón

noun plural -lons or -lones (Spanish -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
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Word Origin

C19: American Spanish, from Spanish, after Cristóbal Colón Christopher Columbus

colon1

noun
  1. plural -lons the punctuation mark :, usually preceding an explanation or an example of what has gone before, a list, or an extended quotation
  2. plural -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
  3. plural -la (-lə) (in classical prosody) a part of a rhythmic period with two to six feet and one principal accent or ictus
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Word Origin

C16: from Latin, from Greek kōlon limb, hence part of a strophe, clause of a sentence

colon2

noun plural -lons or -la (-lə)
  1. the part of the large intestine between the caecum and the rectum
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Word Origin

C16: from Latin: large intestine, from Greek kolon

colon3

noun
  1. a colonial farmer or plantation owner, esp in a French colony
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Word Origin

French: colonist, from Latin colōnus, from colere to till, inhabit

Colón

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
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cola

n.

1795, genus of trees native to west Africa and introduced in New World tropics, Latinized form of a West African name of the tree (cf. Temne kola, Mandingo kolo). Meaning "carbonated soft drink" is 1920, short for Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola.

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colon

n.1

punctuation mark, 1540s, from Latin colon "part of a poem," from Greek kolon (with a long initial -o-) "part of a verse," literally "limb," from PIE root *(s)kel- "to bend, crooked" (see scalene). Meaning evolved from "independent clause" to punctuation mark that sets it off.

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colon

n.2

"large intestine," late 14c., from Greek kolon (with a short initial -o-) "large intestine, food, meat," of unknown origin.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
cola in Medicine

colon

(kō′lən)
n. pl. co•lons
  1. The division of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum.
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Related formsco•lon′ic (kə-lŏn′ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
cola in Science

colon

[kō′lən]
  1. The longest part of the large intestine, extending from the cecum to the rectum. Water and electrolytes are absorbed, solidified, and prepared for elimination as feces in the colon. The colon also contains bacteria that help in the body's absorption of nutrients from digested material.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cola in Culture

colon

A punctuation mark (:) used to introduce a description, an explanation, or a list. For example, “She would own only one kind of pet: a Siamese cat” and “The little boy announced that he wanted the following for his birthday: two sweaters, a new tent, and three toy cars.”

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colon

The middle and longest part of the large intestine. (See digestive system.)

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.