kola
noun
kola
1 American
[koh-luh]
/ ˈkoʊ lə /
Kola
2
American
[koh-luh, kaw-luh]
/ ˈkoʊ lə, ˈkɔ lə /
noun
kola
British
/ ˈkəʊlə /
noun
Etymology
Origin of kola
First recorded in 1820–40; from Malinke kolo, or Temne kola
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 authorities in Ghana have launched a manhunt for the people who cut down a famous 300-year-old kola tree, which was believed to have healing powers.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2023
The “cola” in Coca-Cola is actually the kola nut, the seed of the West African tropical evergreen tree Cola acuminata, which looks like a chestnut kissed by someone wearing Barbie-pink lipstick.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2023
Made from kola nuts and coca leaves, the drink was advertised as an "ideal brain tonic" in the late 19th century.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2023
Gold remained the primary good transported along the trans- Saharan trade routes, but enslaved captives and kola nuts were also exported.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
The vendor ladies squatted, scowling, resting their chins on their crossed arms, behind fortresses of stacked kola nuts, bundles of fragrant sticks, piles of charcoal, salvaged bottles and cans, or displays of dried animal parts.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
As Nigerian author Kola Folayan noted, “it was America and not Tripoli that failed to honor its international commitment.”
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
It is this zone Russia's Northern Fleet missile-launching submarines based on the Kola Peninsula must cross to disappear into the deep waters of the Atlantic.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
Russia is militarily dominant there, with nuclear-submarine forces, missile bases, airfields and ports on the Kola Peninsula.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025
Russia also relies on its Arctic to store strategic weapons - mainly on its Kola peninsula, which bristles with nuclear capabilities and is home to its legendary Northern Fleet.
From BBC ● May 23, 2025
Then I put a plastic Inca Kola bottle in a pan and shape the dough around it, just like in the picture.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
