Colbert

American  

[kohl-bair, kawl-ber] / koʊlˈbɛər, kɔlˈbɛr /

noun

1. Claudette Lily Claudette Chauchoin, 1903–96, U.S. actress, born in France.

2. Jean Baptiste 1619–83, French statesman and finance minister under Louis XIV.

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Colbert British  

/ kɔlbɛr /

noun

1. Claudette , real name Claudette Lily Chauchoin . 1905–96, French-born Hollywood actress, noted for her sophisticated comedy roles; her films include It Happened One Night (1934) and The Palm Beach Story (1942)

2. Jean Baptiste (ʒɑ̃ batist). 1619–83, French statesman; chief minister to Louis XIV: reformed the taille and pursued a mercantilist policy, creating a powerful navy and merchant fleet and building roads and canals

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Example Sentences

When Kpler co-founder Cazor saw the Colbert segment—in which the talk-show host confessed “I love MarineTraffic, okay. It’s the best app of all time”—he thought it was a joke made using artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Having just starred opposite Marlene Dietrich for Josef von Sternberg, he would go on to appear opposite leading ladies as diverse as Greta Garbo, Claudette Colbert and Bette Davis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

“And here you are being shaved completely,” Colbert joked.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Colbert stayed on the air for the final year of his contract and remained critical of Trump and Paramount management.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

But the great example of this genre is It Happened One Night, with Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, who famously dispensed with wearing an undershirt.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times