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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colon ² 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 ³ 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 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 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  

/ 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 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”

Example Sentences

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

But after a scan, she received her diagnosis of colon cancer, which is a form of bowel cancer.

From BBC

The team analyzed the activity of hundreds of genes in about thirty cell clones taken from two primary colon tumors.

From Science Daily

The number of nerve cells in the colon also rose, and the time it took for food to move through the intestines returned to normal.

From Science Daily

Schilling, 54, has been a part of the cast of the reality TV show since 2016, revealed she was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2023.

From BBC