cola

¹

[ koh-luh ]

noun

1. a carbonated soft drink containing an extract made from kola nuts or an artificial imitation, together with sweeteners and other flavorings.

cola

²

[ koh-luh ]

noun

1. a plural of colon ¹.

cola

³

[ koh-luh ]

noun

1. a plural of colon ².

COLA

⁴

[ koh-luh ]

noun

1. cost-of-living adjustment: an automatic increase in wages, Social Security, pensions, etc., to cover the rising cost of living due to inflation.

COLA

¹

abbreviation for

1. cost of living adjustment: an increase in benefit payments according to the rate of inflation
2. cost of living allowance: extra money paid to workers in areas where the cost of living is more expensive

cola

²

/ ˈkəʊlə /

noun

1. a plural of colon 1 colon 2

cola

³

/ ˈkəʊlə /

noun

1. either of two tropical sterculiaceous trees, Cola nitida or C. acuminata, widely cultivated in tropical regions for their seeds See cola nut
2. a sweet carbonated drink flavoured with cola nuts

Word History and Origins

Origin of cola¹

First recorded in 1885–90; spelling variant of kola, extracted from the trademark names of such drinks, as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cola¹

C18: from kola, probably variant of Mandingo kolo nut

Example Sentences

Widely viewed video showed the aftermath: the two bloodied boys cowering in shock in their living room as the attacker casually took a bottle of cola from the family’s refrigerator.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile toilet tissues, bottled cola and dog food saw the slowest price rises.

From BBC

Some Olympic swimmers are turning to drinking cola as a surprising part of their workout regimen.

From Salon

If you look hard enough, you can still find American cola in Russian stores.

From BBC

A drizzle of some cola could work, too.

From Salon

Related Words

• cola
• soda
• soda pop