colon

¹ American  

[koh-luhn] / ˈkoʊ lən /

noun

plural

colons, cola

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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Colón ² American  

[koh-lon, kaw-lawn] / koʊˈlɒn, kɔˈlɔn /

noun

1. a seaport in Panama at the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal.

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colon ³ American  

[koh-lon, kuh-lon] / ˈkoʊ lɒn, kəˈlɒn /

noun

1. a colonial farmer or plantation owner, especially in Algeria.

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colon ⁴ American  

[koh-luhn] / ˈkoʊ lən /

noun

plural

colons, cola

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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colon ⁵ American  

[koh-lohn, kaw-lawn] / koʊˈloʊn, kɔˈlɔn /

noun

plural

colons,

plural

colones

1. the paper monetary unit of El Salvador, equal to 100 centavos. C.

2. a cupronickel or steel coin and monetary unit of Costa Rica, equal to 100 centimos.

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colon ¹ British  

/ ˈkəʊlən /

noun

1. the part of the large intestine between the caecum and the rectum

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colón ² British  

/ kəʊˈləʊn, koˈlon /

noun

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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colon ³ British  

/ kəˈlɒn, kɔlɔ̃ /

noun

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

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colon ⁴ British  

/ ˈkəʊlən /

noun

1. the punctuation mark :, usually preceding an explanation or an example of what has gone before, a list, or an extended quotation

2. 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. (in classical prosody) a part of a rhythmic period with two to six feet and one principal accent or ictus

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Colón ⁵ British  

/ koˈlɔn, kɒˈlɒn /

noun

1. Former name: Aspinwall.  a port in Panama, at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. Chief Caribbean port. Pop: 157 000 (2005 est)

2. the official name of the Galápagos Islands

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colon Scientific  

/ 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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colon ¹ Cultural  

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

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colon ² Cultural  

1. 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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Etymology

Origin of colon¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin cōlon, from Greek kôlon “limb; part of a clause or period”

Origin of colon¹

First recorded in 1600–10, in earlier sense “husbandman”; 1955–60 in present sense; from French, from Latin colōnus “colonist, farmer, tenant farmer”

Origin of colon¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek kólon “large intestine”

Origin of colon¹

First recorded in 1890–95; from Latin American Spanish, after (Cristobal) Colón “(Christopher) Columbus”

Example Sentences

Only part of the sugar is absorbed in the small intestine, while much of it is fermented by gut bacteria in the colon.

From Science Daily

But the founders of IriHealth -- a spin-off of biometrics specialist IriTech -- are convinced that their device can be effective in detecting anomalies in the colon, and potentially the lungs or the liver.

From Barron's

The cancer had started in his colon before spreading deep inside his brain.

From BBC

Japanese star Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, has died of colon cancer, his son announced Wednesday.

From Barron's

Ian also left the factory after being diagnosed with colon cancer after nearly four decades of service.

From BBC