colon
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colon¹
- /ˈkəʊ.lən/ UK
- /ˈkəʊ.lɒn/ UK
- /ˈkoʊ.lən/ US
- /ˈkɔ.lən/ US
- [ˈkʰɔ.ɫn̩] US
Rhymes with -əʊlən, -əʊlɒn
Where it comes from
From Latin cōlon (“a member of a verse of poem”), from Ancient Greek κῶλον (kôlon, “a member, limb, clause, part of a verse”).
noun colons · cola
-
The punctuation mark ⟨:⟩.
A colon tells the reader that what follows is closely related to the preceding clause.
Similar: colon-point
- The triangular colon (especially in context of not being able to type the actual triangular colon).
- A rhetorical figure consisting of a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete.
- A clause or group of clauses written as a line, or taken as a standard of measure in ancient manuscripts or texts.
colon²
- /ˈkəʊ.lən/ UK
- /ˈkəʊ.lɒn/ UK
- /ˈkoʊ.lən/ US
- /ˈkɔ.lən/ US
- [ˈkʰɔ.ɫn̩] US
Rhymes with -əʊlən, -əʊlɒn
Where it comes from
From Latin cŏlon (“large intestine”), from Ancient Greek κόλον (kólon, “the large intestine, also food, meat, fodder”).
noun colons · cola · coli
- Part of the large intestine; the final segment of the digestive system, after (distal to) the ileum and before (proximal to) the rectum. (Because the colon is the largest part of the large intestine (constituting most of it), it is often treated as synonymous therewith in broad or casual usage.) Colorectal cancer refers to colon cancer, which starts in the colon, and rectal cancer, which starts in the rectum.
colon³
- /kəˈlɒn/ UK
- /kəˈloʊn/ US
- /ˈkəʊ.lən/ UK
- /ˈkəʊ.lɒn/ UK
- /ˈkoʊ.lən/ US
- /ˈkɔ.lən/ US
- [ˈkʰɔ.ɫn̩] US
Rhymes with -əʊlən, -əʊlɒn
Where it comes from
From French colon.
noun colons · colone
- A husbandman.
- A European colonial settler, especially in a French colony. 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.
Colon⁴
Where it comes from
Spanish surname, variant of Colón. Also Castilianized form of Colom.
proper noun
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: comma, appendix, pioneer, settler, colonel, punk, pollution, colón, coma, fool, surfboard, colic, gut, bowel, intestine, kowloon
Translations
Every language
noun punctuation mark
| Español | dos puntos |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 쌍점 ssangjeom, 콜론 kollon |
| 日本語 | コロン koron |
| 中文 | 冒號 /冒号 màohào |
| हिन्दी | कोलन kolan, अपूर्ण विराम apūrṇ virām, कॉलन kŏlan |
| Kiswahili | nukta mbili, koloni |
| Português | dois-pontos |
| Français | deux points |
| Deutsch | Doppelpunkt, Kolon |
| Italiano | due punti |
| Ελληνικά | άνω και κάτω τελεία áno kai káto teleía |
| Română | două puncte |
| Русский | двоето́чие dvojetóčije |
| Tiếng Việt | dấu hai chấm |
| العربية | نُقْطَة مُزْدَوِجَة nuqṭa muzdawija, نُقْطَتَان nuqṭatān |
| עברית | נקודתיים nekudataim |
noun the last part of the digestive system
| Español | colon |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 큰창자 keunchangja, 대장 daejang |
| 日本語 | 大腸 daichō |
| 中文 | 結腸 /结肠 jiécháng |
| हिन्दी | बृहदांत्र bŕhdāntra, कोलन kolan |
| Português | cólon |
| Français | côlon |
| Deutsch | Kolon, Grimmdarm |
| Ελληνικά | κόλον kólon |
| Русский | ободо́чная кишка́ obodóčnaja kišká, то́лстая кишка́ tólstaja kišká |
| Tiếng Việt | kết tràng |
| العربية | قُولُون qulūn |
Talk about this word "colon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/colon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. colon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/colon "colon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/colon.Cite this
@misc{colon_2026,
title = {colon},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/colon},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
