cola

1 of 3

plural of colon

cola

2 of 3

noun

co·​la ˈkō-lə How to pronounce cola (audio)
: a carbonated soft drink colored usually with caramel and flavored usually with extracts from kola nuts
1
cost-of-living adjustment
2
cost-of-living allowance

Examples of cola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Add the cola, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and coriander seeds and scrape the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 This brown sugar ham is packed with flavor thanks to a sweet cola and whiskey glaze. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2024 There were no adverse effects, so further studies administrating cola before performing endoscopies could be useful, per the authors. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 11 Dec. 2023 For example, some cooks replace the coffee with water, iced tea, espresso, or cola. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2023 No one is spending upward of $40 for a bottle of whiskey-ish liquid that needs to be drowned in cola to be palatable. Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024 The use of carbonated drinks like cola to relieve food obstructions has been around for at least 20 years, and probably longer, since cola was mentioned as an effective remedy in a 1993 paper (albeit a small study involving just eight patients). Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 11 Dec. 2023 And finally, Olivia Rodrigo's viral cherry cola lip brought her would-be classic glamour into the present tense. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2024 Her lips were lined with a dark red lip liner and filled in with a red gloss a few shades lighter for an ombré effect similar to the cherry cola lips that have been trending on TikTok. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cola.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from Coca-Cola, a trademark

First Known Use

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cola was in 1920

Dictionary Entries Near cola

Cite this Entry

“Cola.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cola. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cola

noun
co·​la
ˈkō-lə
: a sweet usually caffeinated carbonated soft drink typically colored with caramel and having a flavoring from kola nuts

Medical Definition

cola

plural of colon

Legal Definition

COLA

abbreviation
ˈkō-lə
1
cost-of-living adjustment
2
cost-of-living allowance

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