Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

colophony

American  
[kol-uh-foh-nee, kuh-lof-uh-nee] / ˈkɒl əˌfoʊ ni, kəˈlɒf ə ni /

noun

  1. rosin.


colophony British  
/ kɒˈlɒfənɪ /

noun

  1. another name for rosin

"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

Etymology

Origin of colophony

1300–50; Middle English colofonie (< Anglo-French ) < Latin Colophōnia ( rēsina ) (resin) of Colophon < Greek Kolophōnía, feminine of Kolophṓnios, equivalent to Kolophṓn Colophon + -ios adj. suffix; see -y 3


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A mixture of colophony, black pitch, and tar.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

There followed the production of a somewhat different form of match, sticks first dipped in sulphur, and then in a composition of chlorate potash, sulphur, colophony, gum of sugar, and cinnabar for coloring.

From Inventions in the Century by William Henry Doolittle

The transfer ink consists of 20 parts of printing ink, 50 parts of wax, 40 parts of tallow, 35 parts of colophony, 210 parts of oil of turpentine, 30 parts of Berlin blue.

From Paper and Printing Recipes A Handy Volume of Practical Recipes, Concerning the Every-Day Business of Stationers, Printers, Binders, and the Kindred Trades by J. Sawtelle Ford

In some old recipes, virgin wax, calcined asphaltum, gum mastic, amber, colophony, greek pitch, burgundy pitch, black pitch, resin, shoe makers' wax, &c. &c. are mentioned.

From A Select Collection of Valuable and Curious Arts and Interesting Experiments, Which are Well Explained and Warranted Genuine and may be Performed Easily, Safely, and at Little Expense. by Various Unknown

If a thicker consistence is desired, a greater proportion of colophony is added, and it is cast in moulds.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training