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.

---

cola ² American  

[koh-luh] / ˈkoʊ lə /

noun

1. a plural of colon.

---

cola ³ American  

[koh-luh] / ˈkoʊ lə /

noun

1. a plural of colon.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

cola ³ British  

/ ˈkəʊlə /

noun

1. a plural of colon 1 colon 2

---

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

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025

Andrew was finally able to get out, though he admittedly took a drink of cola on the way.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025

For decades, the cola wars played out in Super Bowl commercials and fast food soda fountains, in taste tests and vending machine allegiances.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2025

Then he poured the cola into a potted plant and stood up.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

Related Words

• soda
• soda pop