cola
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
abbreviation
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cost of living adjustment: an increase in benefit payments according to the rate of inflation
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cost of living allowance: extra money paid to workers in areas where the cost of living is more expensive
noun
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either of two tropical sterculiaceous trees, Cola nitida or C. acuminata, widely cultivated in tropical regions for their seeds See cola nut
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a sweet carbonated drink flavoured with cola nuts
noun
Etymology
Origin of cola
First recorded in 1885–90; spelling variant of kola, extracted from the trademark names of such drinks, as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, etc.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He likened it to the cola wars of the 1980s—but warned it may not be a winning strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025
"It was much easier to crash a wedding than I'd have thought – I was in and out like an assassin, even if I only got a bottle of cola for it all!"
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025
A drizzle of some cola could work, too.
From Salon • May 21, 2024
Children who consumed pure apple juice often followed a diet with more fish, fruit, green vegetables, and salad, whereas those drinking cola ate more burgers, sausages, pizza, french fries, meat, chocolate, and sweets.
From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2024
In order to make sense of people’s cola judgments, we need to first decide which of those two reactions most interests us.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
