sem·i·co·lon

[sem-i-koh-luhn]
noun
the punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a major division in a sentence where a more distinct separation is felt between clauses or items on a list than is indicated by a comma, as between the two clauses of a compound sentence.

Origin:
1635–45; semi- + colon1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
semicolon (ˌsɛmɪˈkəʊlən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
the punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a pause intermediate in value or length between that of a comma and that of a full stop

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Semicolon is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

semicolon
1644, a hybrid coined from L. semi- (see semi-) + Gk. kolon "limb, part" (see colon (1)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

semicolon definition


A punctuation mark (;) used to join two independent clauses in a sentence. The semicolon shows that the ideas in the two clauses are related: “Jack really didn't mind being left without a car; he had the house to himself.”

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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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

semicolon definition


;
Common: ITU-T: semicolon; semi. Rare: weenie; INTERCAL: hybrid, pit-thwong.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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Example sentences
The dash, semicolon, question mark and exclamation point go within quotation
  marks when they apply to the quoted matter only.
The semicolon links two closely related thoughts and emphasizes that
  relationship.
Those whose books were not so good would throw a hissy fit if you pointed out a
  misused semicolon.
The two independent clauses, that follow the first sentence of each paragraph,
  are separated by a semicolon.
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