colorado
1 Americanadjective
noun
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a state in the western United States. 104,247 sq. mi. (270,000 sq. km). Denver. CO (for use with zip code), Col., Colo.
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a river flowing southwest from northern Colorado through Utah and Arizona into the Gulf of California: Grand Canyon; Boulder Dam. 1,450 miles (2,335 km) long.
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a river flowing southeast from western Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. 840 miles (1,350 km) long.
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Río Colorado a river in central Argentina, flowing southeast from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. 530 miles (853 km) long.
noun
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Abbreviation: Colo.. CO. a state of the central US: consists of the Great Plains in the east and the Rockies in the west; drained chiefly by the Colorado, Arkansas, South Platte, and Rio Grande Rivers. Capital: Denver. Pop: 4 550 688 (2003 est). Area: 269 998 sq km (104 247 sq miles)
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a river in SW North America, rising in the Rocky Mountains and flowing southwest to the Gulf of California: famous for the 1600 km (1000 miles) of canyons along its course. Length: about 2320 km (1440 miles)
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a river in central Texas, flowing southeast to the Gulf of Mexico. Length: about 1450 km (900 miles)
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a river in central Argentina, flowing southeast to the Atlantic. Length: about 850 km (530 miles)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of colorado
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:
The delivery mechanisms I use are familiar vehicles balanced with new, surprising concepts, like mango chutney hot dogs, Gorgonzola nachos, chile colorado burritos, and ancho morita s'mores.
From Salon ● May 18, 2022
Chile verde and colorado were found on some of the earliest Mexican restaurant menus in Southern California, but they’re now slowly disappearing from restaurants as immigrants bring their own culinary traditions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2019
Morales apparently liked both chile verde and chile colorado, which is beef in red chile sauce, so the special is either one.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2017
Topics: , , , , colorado capitol building, jared wright, jonathan singer, kurtis lee, Denver Post, John Hickenlooper, Gov. John Hickenlooper, , ,
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2014
Abuela did voices, and at the end of this and every story she’d say, “¡Y colorín, colorado, este cuento se ha acabado!”
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
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It also builds a lightweight infantry squad vehicle based on the Chevrolet Colorado pickup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The trial will center on claims filed by attorneys general in California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Reaching a consensus would be the best outcome for all users along the Colorado River, Pitt said, because a court battle holds tremendous uncertainty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Perez’s only request to the court was that Zambada be spared the fate of El Chapo, who is serving out his life sentence under strict isolation at a federal supermax prison in Colorado.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
They were well-traveled roads that tracked major rivers, like the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, and the Rio Grande.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.