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colon

 - 17 dictionary results

co⋅lon

1[koh-luhn]
–noun, plural -lons for 1, -la [-luh] for 2.
1. the sign (:) used to mark a major division in a sentence, to indicate that what follows is an elaboration, summation, implication, etc., of what precedes; or to separate groups of numbers referring to different things, as hours from minutes in 5:30; or the members of a ratio or proportion, as in 1 : 2 : : 3 : 6.
2. Classical Prosody. one of the members or sections of a rhythmical period, consisting of a sequence of from two to six feet united under a principal ictus or beat.

Origin:
1580–90; < L < Gk kôlon limb, member, clause

co⋅lon

2[koh-luhn]
–noun, plural -lons, -la [-luh] .
1. Anatomy. the part of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum.
2. Zoology. the portion of the digestive tract that is posterior to the stomach or gizzard and extends to the rectum.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L < Gk kólon large intestine

co⋅lon

3[koh-lohn; Sp. kaw-lawn]
–noun, plural -lons, Spanish. -lo⋅nes [-law-nes] .
1. the paper monetary unit of El Salvador, equal to 100 centavos. Abbreviation: C.
2. a cupronickel or steel coin and monetary unit of Costa Rica, equal to 100 centimos.

Origin:
1890–95; < AmerSp, after (Cristobal) Colón (Christopher) Columbus

co⋅lon

4[koh-lon, kuh-lon]
–noun
a colonial farmer or plantation owner, esp. in Algeria.

Origin:
1600–10, in sense “husbandmen”; 1955–60 in present sense; < F < L colōnus colonist

Co⋅lón

[koh-lon; Sp. kaw-lawn]
–noun
a seaport in Panama at the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal. 85,600.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To colon
co·lon 1   (kō'lən)   
n.   pl. co·lons
    1. A punctuation mark ( : ) used after a word introducing a quotation, an explanation, an example, or a series and often after the salutation of a business letter.

    2. The sign ( : ) used between numbers or groups of numbers in expressions of time (2:30 A.M.) and ratios (1:2).

  1. pl. co·la (-lə) A section of a metrical period in quantitative verse, consisting of two to six feet and in Latin verse having one principal accent.


[Latin cōlon, part of a verse, from Greek kōlon, limb, member, metrical unit.]
co·lon 2   (kō'lən)   
n.   pl. co·lons or co·la (-lə)
The section of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum.

[Middle English, from Latin, from Greek kolon, large intestine.]
co·lon'ic (kə-lŏn'ĭk) adj.
co·lon 3   (kō-lōn')   
n.   pl. co·lons or co·lo·nes (-lō'nās')
See Table at currency.

[Spanish colón, after Cristóbal Colón, Christopher Columbus.]
Co·lón   (kə-lŏn', kō-lōn')   
A city of northern Panama at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. The city was founded as Aspinwall in 1850 by Americans working on the Panama Railroad and was renamed in 1890. Population: 76,600.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

colon

A punctuation mark (:) used to introduce a description, an explanation, or a list. For example, “She would own only one kind of pet: a Siamese cat” and “The little boy announced that he wanted the following for his birthday: two sweaters, a new tent, and three toy cars.”


colon

The middle and longest part of the large intestine. (See digestive system.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

colon  (1)
"punctuation mark," 1550, from Gk. kolon (with a long initial -o-) "part of a verse," lit. "limb," from PIE base *(s)kel- "to bend, crooked." Meaning evolved from "independent clause" to punctuation mark that sets it off.

colon  (2)
"large intestine," 1398, from Gk. kolon (with a short initial -o-) "large intestine, food, meat."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: co·lon
Pronunciation: 'kO-l&n
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural colons or co·la /-l&/
: the part of the large intestine that extends from the cecum to the rectum
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

colon co·lon (kō'lən)
n. pl. co·lons or co·la (-lə)
The division of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum.


co·lon'ic (kə-lŏn'ĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
colon   (kō'lən)  Pronunciation Key 
The longest part of the large intestine, extending from the cecum to the rectum. Water and electrolytes are absorbed, solidified, and prepared for elimination as feces in the colon. The colon also contains bacteria that help in the body's absorption of nutrients from digested material.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Computing Dictionary

colon character
":" ASCII character 58. Common names: ITU-T: colon. Rare: dots; INTERCAL: two-spot.
(1995-09-25)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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