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
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
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
There are an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Sami people across the vast Arctic wilderness of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia's Kola peninsula.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
As Nigerian author Kola Folayan noted, “it was America and not Tripoli that failed to honor its international commitment.”
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
The Arctic Kola Peninsula hosts Russia’s Northern Fleet, with advanced land, air and naval assets, including some of its nuclear arsenal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 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
I can almost believe that I am backstage, after a performance, eating mangoes and drinking Inca Kola.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
