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:
Many in the community believed the black and white seeds of the kola tree could cure ailments and curses.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 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
As kola nuts, dates, ivory, salt, leather, enslaved people, and gold passed through the capital, traders and merchants prospered.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
She looked up and squinted in concentration as though looking for a ripening pod on the kola nut tree was more important than what Master was saying.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
As Nigerian author Kola Folayan noted, “it was America and not Tripoli that failed to honor its international commitment.”
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
“We have thousands of problems and that is the reason why they are in the street. What happened in Zvernec was just the tipping point”, 46-year-old tour guide Arben Kola told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Most of Russia’s fleet of nuclear submarines and icebreakers is located on the Arctic Kola Peninsula.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
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 thought how thirsty I was, and how 1 wanted a bottle of Inca Kola and chocolate ice cream.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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.
