Colombo

American

[kuh-luhm-boh] / kəˈlʌm boʊ /

noun

a seaport in and the capital of Sri Lanka, on the W coast.

Colombo British

/ kəˈlʌmbəʊ /

noun

the capital and chief port of Sri Lanka, on the W coast, with one of the largest artificial harbours in the world. Pop: 653 000 (2005 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Colombo has raised fuel prices three times this month, increasing them by more than a third, and has imposed a four-day working week in a bid to save energy.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

The irony of the current crisis is not lost on Dimuthu, who lives in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

"I didn't go to work today," says Nimal, a lawnmower operator from Colombo.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

After the Bushehr reported engine trouble, Sri Lanka allowed the vessel to enter Colombo, where authorities took in more than 200 sailors on Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Since Colombo was recently dead, and Falloppio died in 1562, the dispute had to be continued by Falloppio’s student Leone Carcano.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023