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• colon
  colon

  noun

  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.
• Colón
  Colón

  noun

  a seaport in Panama at the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal.
• colón
  colón

  noun

  the standard monetary unit of Costa Rica, divided into 100 céntimos

colon

¹ American  

[koh-luhn] / ˈkoʊ lən /

noun

colons, plural cola plural

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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colon ² American  

[koh-luhn] / ˈkoʊ lən /

noun

colons, plural cola plural

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 ³ American  

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

noun

colons, plural colones plural

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 ⁴ American  

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

noun

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

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Colón ⁵ 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 ¹ 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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colon ² British  

/ ˈkəʊlən /

noun

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

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colón ³ 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 ⁴ British  

/ kəˈlɒn, kɔlɔ̃ /

noun

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

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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 colon²

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

Origin of colon³

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

Origin of colon⁴

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

Explanation

In punctuation, a colon is the mark made by stacking two periods (:). The colon can be used to separate the hour and minutes in time (7:30 a.m.) or to introduce a list or a quotation. A colon is also a unit of money in both Costa Rica and El Salvador. It equals 100 centimos in the former and 100 centavos in the latter. When you travel to Costa Rica, you can trade dollars for colons. In medical terms, your colon is part of your digestive system, and its purpose is to extract water from solid waste. In humans, there are four parts of the colon: ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid.

Example Sentences

When levels are too low, DNA can be copied incorrectly, leading to mutations that, over many years, may increase the risk of certain cancers, particularly colon cancer.

From Science Daily • May 27, 2026

First-quarter results showed a decline in its infant formula business, and there was a cut to 2026 earnings guidance related to Abbott’s pricey purchase of Exact Sciences, a maker of a colon cancer diagnostic test.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

RAS mutations that drive tumor growth in 90% of pancreatic patients—as well as a large share of colon and non-small cell lung cancer cases—have long been considered “undruggable.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

The poll also found that only about one in three adults recall receiving information from a health care professional about the link between processed meat and colon cancer.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Think of the colon as a traffic cop that alerts you about road conditions up ahead.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner