colon

1 of 4

noun (1)

co·​lon ˈkō-lən How to pronounce colon (audio)
plural colons or cola ˈkō-lə How to pronounce colon (audio)
: the part of the large intestine that extends from the cecum to the rectum

colon

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural colons or cola
1
plural cola : a rhythmical unit of an utterance
specifically, in Greek or Latin verse : a system or series of from two to not more than six feet having a principal accent and forming part of a line
2
plural colons
a
: a punctuation mark : used chiefly to direct attention to matter (such as a list, explanation, quotation, or amplification) that follows
b
: the sign : used between the parts of a numerical expression of time in hours and minutes (as in 1:15) or in hours, minutes, and seconds (as in 8:25:30), in a bibliographical reference (as in Nation 130:20), in a ratio where it is usually read as "to" (as in 4:1 read "four to one"), or in a proportion where it is usually read as "is to" or when doubled as "as" (as in 2:1::8:4 read "two is to one as eight is to four")

colon

3 of 4

noun (3)

co·​lon kȯ-ˈlōⁿ How to pronounce colon (audio)
kə-ˈlōn
: a colonial farmer or plantation owner

colón

4 of 4

noun (4)

co·​lón kə-ˈlōn How to pronounce colón (audio)
variants or less commonly colone
plural colones kə-ˈlō-ˌnās How to pronounce colón (audio)
1
: the basic monetary unit of El Salvador until 2001
2
: the basic monetary unit of Costa Rica see Money Table

Examples of colon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
LeGrand Gold, a father of five living from Utah who idolized Dolly Parton and was serenaded by the country legend just before Christmas, has died after a two-year battle with colon cancer, according to an obituary written by largely by himself. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024 Imran detailed how her grandfather, who is in his 70s and lives in the heavily militarized West Bank, is in colon cancer remission and refuses to leave his home fearing the Israel Defense Forces will strike him with tear gas. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Instead of thinking about lung function, more and more are worrying about the maladies that come with middle and old age—colon cancer, high cholesterol, heart disease. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 Red and processed meats, in particular, are linked to colon cancer. Maggie O'Neill, Health, 5 Mar. 2024 Reflecting on Boseman, who died of colon cancer in August 2020 at 43, Bassett praises both his character and accomplishments. Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 One woman’s medical records showed that her colon was damaged and her uterus was burned during a 2015 hysterectomy involving the robot. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024 The disease had taken root in her colon and spread to her liver, coating it in tumors. Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 18 Jan. 2024 It can also be ingested, through contaminated water or seafood and increase the risk of colon cancer, but this is less common. Victoria Forster, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colon.' 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 (1)

Middle English, from Latin, from Greek kolon

Noun (2)

Latin, part of a poem, from Greek kōlon limb, part of a strophe

Noun (3)

French, from Latin colonus

Noun (4)

Spanish colón, from Cristóbal Colón Christopher Columbus

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1888, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colon was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near colon

Cite this Entry

“Colon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colon. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

colon

1 of 2 noun
co·​lon ˈkō-lən How to pronounce colon (audio)
: the part of the large intestine between the cecum and the rectum
colonic
kō-ˈlän-ik
adjective

colon

2 of 2 noun
: a punctuation mark : used chiefly to direct attention to what follows (as a list, explanation, quotation, or amplification)
Etymology

Noun

from Latin colon "part of the intestine," from Greek kolon (same meaning)

Noun

from earlier colon "rhythmic unit in verse," from Latin colon "part of a poem," from Greek kōlon "limb, part of a poem"

Medical Definition

colon

noun
co·​lon ˈkō-lən How to pronounce colon (audio)
plural colons or cola -lə How to pronounce colon (audio)
: the part of the large intestine that extends from the cecum to the rectum

Geographical Definition

Colón

geographical name

Co·​lón kō-ˈlōn How to pronounce Colón (audio)
city and port on the Caribbean Sea at the entrance to the Panama Canal in northern Panama population 224,000

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