colleen

[ kol-een, ko-leen ]

/ ˈkɒl in, kɒˈlin /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for colleen on Thesaurus.com

noun

an Irish girl.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of colleen

1820–30; <Irish cailín, equivalent to caile girl, wench + -ín diminutive suffix

Words nearby colleen

collectivize, collect on delivery, collector, collectorate, collector's item, colleen, college, College Board, College Boards, college of advanced technology, college of arms

Other definitions for colleen (2 of 2)

Colleen

[ kol-een, ko-leen ]

/ ˈkɒl in, kɒˈlin /

noun

a female given name: from an Irish word meaning “girl.”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use colleen in a sentence

Apply now to Date Lab When Erick learned that Colleen was a third-generation Washingtonian he had to ask if she liked go-go music.
Date Lab: They were so instantly comfortable that our photographer asked if they had met before|Damona Hoffman|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
Colleen no longer runs, but she keeps active with other kinds of exercise.
Date Lab: They were so instantly comfortable that our photographer asked if they had met before|Damona Hoffman|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
On the date, Colleen told him that she had grown up Catholic but doesn’t practice anymore.
Date Lab: They were so instantly comfortable that our photographer asked if they had met before|Damona Hoffman|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
After circling endlessly to find reasonably priced parking, Colleen ended up a few blocks away and rushed to the restaurant hoping the humidity wouldn’t overtake her natural hairstyle.
Date Lab: They were so instantly comfortable that our photographer asked if they had met before|Damona Hoffman|June 17, 2021|Washington Post

When Erick asked whether she had been married, Colleen said she had been engaged to the father of her 20-year-old son but they never wed.
Date Lab: They were so instantly comfortable that our photographer asked if they had met before|Damona Hoffman|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
This past summer, Colleen LaRose, known by her self-anointed handle ‘Jihad Jane’, was sentenced to ten years in prison.
What the U.S. Can Learn from Europe About Dealing with Terrorists|Scott Beauchamp|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No one can understand how you feel when you visit Colleen and the kids.
Beast Fiction: They Killed Our Brothers|J.F. Quinn|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His wife, Colleen, had been rinsing plates at the sink and putting them in the dishwasher.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since then Colleen Howe hasn't missed more than four or five home games.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“They tell me the buses don't run here after 4:30,” Colleen said to him.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Colleen Bawn is a tissue of improbabilities and extravagances.
The English Stage|Augustin Filon
Colleen, you've the wisdom of the ages in your head right now.
Kenny|Leona Dalrymple
That last––the thought that our skipper or the vessel might get mixed up in it––kept us aboard the Colleen Bawn.
The Seiners|James B. (James Brendan) Connolly
The Colleen left her behind, and she at last drew off after bunching a few farewell shots.
The Seiners|James B. (James Brendan) Connolly
The Colleen was pretty well inshore then, and yet safe outside the three-mile limit in our judgment.
The Seiners|James B. (James Brendan) Connolly

British Dictionary definitions for colleen

colleen

/ (ˈkɒliːn, kɒˈliːn) /

noun

an Irish word for girl

an Irish girl

Word Origin for colleen

C19: from Irish Gaelic cailín a girl, a young unmarried woman

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

colleen

Origin of colleen

Words nearby colleen

Other definitions for colleen (2 of 2)

Words related to colleen

How to use colleen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for colleen

Word Origin for colleen