colon

1 of 4

noun (1)

co·​lon ˈkō-lən 

plural colons or cola ˈkō-lə 

: 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 

kə-ˈlōn

: a colonial farmer or plantation owner

colón

4 of 4

noun (4)

co·​lón kə-ˈlōn 

variants or less commonly colone

plural colones kə-ˈlō-ˌnās 

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

Francis also suffers from diverticulitis, a common condition that can cause the inflammation or infection of the colon. —Rob Picheta, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025

Another scientific investigation drawing on the same participant group as Ogino’s study found that eating one or more servings per week of yogurt compared with no yogurt consumption was connected to a lower incidence of proximal colon cancer. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 14 Feb. 2025

Specifically, the researchers found that the habitual yogurt eaters had lower rates of Bifidobacterium-positive proximal colon cancers. —Maria Godoy, NPR, 14 Feb. 2025

In fact, today’s young adults are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer—and four times as likely to be diagnosed with rectal cancer—as those born around 1950, research suggests. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 13 Feb. 2025

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

Phrases Containing colon

• colon bacillus
• sigmoid colon
• spastic colon
• transverse colon

Kids Definition

colon

1 of 2 noun

co·​lon ˈkō-lən 

: 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 

plural colons or cola -lə 

: the part of the large intestine that extends from the cecum to the rectum

Geographical Definition

Colón

geographical name

Co·​lón kō-ˈlōn 

city and port on the Caribbean Sea at the entrance to the Panama Canal in northern Panama population 224,000