col-

¹

1. variant of com- before l: collateral.

col.

²

abbreviation for

1. (in prescriptions) strain.

col-

³

1. variant of colo- before a vowel:

   colectomy.

col.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. collected.
2. collector.
3. college.
4. collegiate.
5. colonial.
6. colony.
7. color.
8. colored.
9. column.

col

⁵

[ kol; French kawl ]

noun

, plural cols [kolz, kawl].

1. Physical Geography. a pass or depression in a mountain range or ridge.
2. Meteorology. the region of relatively low pressure between two anticyclones.

COL

⁶

1. cost of living.

Col.

⁷

abbreviation for

1. Colombia.
2. Colonel.
3. Colorado.
4. Bible. Colossians.

col-

¹

prefix

1. a variant of colo-

   colectomy

col.

²

abbreviation for

1. column

col

³

/ kɒl; kɔl /

noun

1. the lowest point of a ridge connecting two mountain peaks, often constituting a pass
2. meteorol a pressure region between two anticyclones and two depressions, associated with variable weather

Col.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. Colombia(n)
2. Colonel
3. Bible Colossians

col-

⁵

prefix

1. a variant of com-

   collateral

Word History and Origins

Origin of col-¹

From the Latin word colā

Origin of col-²

1850–55; < French < Latin collum neck

Word History and Origins

Origin of col-¹

C19: from French: neck, col, from Latin collum neck

Example Sentences

Col Yevgeny Sasyko, a former head of strategic communications with Ukraine’s general staff, said Russia places “powerful jaws” around the flanks of a city that slowly “grind though” defences until they collapse.

From BBC

“He enriched our lives and bound our group with love, care and respect. Not sure how we can go on without his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Rest in Peace.”

From Los Angeles Times

Last year, President Col Assimi Goïta signed into law a new mining code increasing the maximum stake for state and local investors from 20% to 35%.

From BBC

The gang finds him holed up in a New Hampshire factory of a company Guillermo’s firm just finished gutting, babbling incoherently like Col.

From Salon

Lt Col Charles Bairsto, commanding officer 4th Battalion, The Ranger Regiment, described Cpl Gill as a "strong and natural leader" who was "dedicated to his family".

From BBC

Words That Use col-

What does col- mean?

Col- is a combining form used like a prefix representing the word colon, the part of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum. It is often used in medical terms.

Col- comes from the Greek kólon, meaning “large intestine.” The Greek kólon is also the source of such words as colic and colicky, a word which many parents may know all too well.

Col-, when it refers to the colon, is a variant of colo-, which loses its –o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use colo- article.

Examples of col-

One medical term you may be familiar with that uses col- is colitis, meaning “inflammation of the colon.”

The first part of the word, col-, represents “colon.” The second part of the word, -itis, might also look familiar: it’s used in medical terms to denote “inflammation.”Colitis, then, breaks down to “colon inflammation.”

What are some words that use the combining form col-?

• colectomy

What are some other forms that col- may be commonly confused with?

• coll-
• chol-

There are many other words begin with col-, from cola and colander to color to colony, but they are not using col- as a combining form meaning “colon.”

Adding to the confusion (but highlighting just how much English gets out of the letters col-) is the fact that col- is also a variant of the prefix com-, meaning “with, together,” when combined with words or word elements beginning with -l-, as in collateral.

Break it down!

The combining form -ectomy means “excision, removal” With this in mind, what does the surgical procedure of colectomy involve?