cost of living adjustment: an increase in benefit payments according to the rate of inflation
cost of living allowance: extra money paid to workers in areas where the cost of living is more expensive
either of two tropical sterculiaceous trees, Cola nitida or C. acuminata, widely cultivated in tropical regions for their seeds See cola nut
a sweet carbonated drink flavoured with cola nuts
First recorded in 1885–90; spelling variant of kola, extracted from the trademark names of such drinks, as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, etc.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For instance, PepsiCo has its own namesake prebiotic cola with fiber, which it made available nationwide in February.
From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026
Festival del Libro del Los Angeles Times, abarrotando las mesas redondas y haciendo cola para ver a sus autores favoritos y a los invitados famosos.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
He likened it to the cola wars of the 1980s—but warned it may not be a winning strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025
As for Coca-Cola’s rivals, both PepsiCo and Dr. Pepper have been selling their versions of cola sweetened with cane sugar in the U.S. since 2009.
From Salon • Jul. 23, 2025
It is not, any more than sipping cola or rating chairs or tasting jam is easy.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
