Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Colon

Co′lon

(kō′lŏn)
,
Noun.
[L.
colon
,
colum
, limb, member, the largest of the intestines, fr. Gr.
κῶλον
, and in sense of the intestine,
κόλον
: cf. F.
colon
. Cf.
Colic
.]
1.
(Anat.)
That part of the large intestines which extends from the cæcum to the rectum.
[See Illust. of
Digestion
.]
2.
(Gram.)
A point or character, formed thus [:], used to separate parts of a sentence that are complete in themselves and nearly independent, often taking the place of a conjunction.

Webster 1828 Edition

Colon

COLON

, n.
1.
In anatomy, the largest of the intestines, or rather the largest division of the intestinal canal; beginning at the ceecum, and ascending by the right kidney, it passes under the hollow part of the liver, and the bottom of the stomach, to the spleen; thence descending by the left kidney, it passes, in the form of an S, to the upper part of the os sacrum, where, from its straight course, the canal takes the name of rectum.
2.
In grammar, a point or character formed thus [:], used to mark a pause, greater than that of a semicolon, but less than that of a period; or rather it is used when the sense of the division of a period is complete, so as to admit a full point; but something is added by way of illustration, or the description is continued by an additional remark, without a necessary dependence on the foregoing members of the sentence. Thus,
A brute arrives at a point of perfection he can never pass: in a few years he has all the endowments he is capable of.
The colon is often used before an address, quotation or example. Mr. Gray was followed by Mr. Erskine, who spoke thus: I rise to second the motion of my honorable friend. But the propriety of this depends on the pause, and this depends on the form of introducing the quotation; for after say, said, or a like word, the colon is not used, and seems to be improper. Thus in our version of the scriptures, such members are almost invariably followed by a comma. But Jesus said to them, Ye know not what ye ask.
The use of the colon is not uniform; nor is it easily defined and reduced to rules. Indeed the use of it might be dispensed with without much inconvenience.

Definition 2024

Colon

Colon

See also: colon, colón, cólon, còlon, côlon, and Colón

English

Proper noun

Colon

  1. A surname​.

colon

colon

See also: Colon, cólon, colón, còlon, côlon, and Colón

English

Noun

colon ‎(plural colons or cola)

  1. The punctuation mark ":".
    • 2005, William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, Penguin Press, page 15:
      A colon tells the reader that what follows is closely related to the preceding clause.
  2. (rare) The triangular colon (especially in context of not being able to type the actual triangular colon).
  3. (rhetoric) A rhetorical figure consisting of a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Punctuation

Etymology 2

From Latin cōlon ‎(“large intestine”), from Ancient Greek κόλον ‎(kólon, “the large intestine, also food, meat, fodder”).

Noun

colon ‎(plural colons or cola)

  1. (anatomy) Part of the large intestine; the final segment of the digestive system, after (distal to) the ileum and before (proximal to) the anus
Synonyms
Holonyms
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Etymology 3

From French colon.

Noun

colon ‎(plural colons)

  1. (obsolete) A husbandman.
  2. A European colonial settler, especially in a French colony.
    • 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York Review Books 2006, p. 28:
      The reaction of the European colons, a mixture of shock and fear, was to demand further draconian measures and to suspend any suggestion of new reforms.

Anagrams

Asturian

Noun

colon m ‎(plural cólones)

  1. (anatomy) colon (digestive system)

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin colōnus.

Noun

colon m ‎(plural colons)

  1. colonist, settler
  2. farmer during the Roman Empire

Esperanto

Noun

colon

  1. accusative singular of colo

French

Etymology 1

Noun

colon m ‎(plural colons)

  1. colonist, colonizer
    • Laurent Lamoine, Le Pouvoir locale en Gaule romaine, 2009, 240.
      Sous les auspices du dictateur A. Cornelius Cossus, les Romains viennent de remporter une victoire sur leurs voisins Volsques, Latins et Herniques, associés aux colons romains en rébellion de Circéi et Vélitrae.
  2. camper (child in a colonie de vacances)
    • José Casatéjada, Via Compostela: Des Monts du Velay à la Costa da Morte, 2015, 243.
      Une fois encore, ils me ramènant à mon enfance, aux colonies de vacances. Aves les autres petits colons, mes frères et moi trottions sur les chemins de traverse pour aller jouer dans les près ou à la rivière.
  3. sharecropper in the system of colonat partiaire

Etymology 2

Noun

colon

  1. Misspelling of côlon.

Italian

Noun

colon m ‎(invariable)

  1. (anatomy) colon

Derived terms

Anagrams

Latin

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek κόλον ‎(kólon).

Noun

cōlon n ‎(genitive cōlī); second declension

  1. (anatomy) The colon; large intestine
  2. colic, a disease of the colon

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek κῶλον ‎(kôlon).

Noun

cōlon n ‎(genitive cōlī); second declension

  1. a member or part of a verse of a poem
Synonyms
Inflection

Second declension, Greek type.

Case Singular Plural
nominative cōlon cōla
genitive cōlī cōlōrum
dative cōlō cōlīs
accusative cōlon cōla
ablative cōlō cōlīs
vocative cōlon cōla
Descendants

References

Spanish

Noun

colon m ‎(plural cólones)

  1. (anatomy, grammar, rhetoric) colon

Etymology

From Latin cōlon ‎(“a member of a verse of poem”), from Ancient Greek κῶλον ‎(kôlon, “a member, limb, clause, part of a verse”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkəʊlən/, /ˈkəʊlɒn/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkoʊlən/
  • Rhymes: -əʊlən

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