colorado

¹

[ kol-uh-rad-oh, -rah-doh ]

adjective

1. (of cigars) of medium color and strength.

Colorado

²

[ kol-uh-rad-oh, -rah-doh; Spanish kaw-law-rah-thaw ]

noun

1. a state in the western United States. 104,247 sq. mi. (270,000 sq. km). : Denver. : CO (for use with zip code), Col., Colo.
2. a river flowing southwest from northern Colorado through Utah and Arizona into the Gulf of California: Grand Canyon; Boulder Dam. 1,450 miles (2,335 km) long.
3. a river flowing southeast from western Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. 840 miles (1,350 km) long.
4. Rí·o Col·o·ra·do [ree, -aw kaw-law-, rah, -, th, aw], a river in central Argentina, flowing southeast from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. 530 miles (853 km) long.

Colorado

/ ˌkɒləˈrɑːdəʊ /

noun

1. a state of the central US: consists of the Great Plains in the east and the Rockies in the west; drained chiefly by the Colorado, Arkansas, South Platte, and Rio Grande Rivers. Capital: Denver. Pop: 4 550 688 (2003 est). Area: 269 998 sq km (104 247 sq miles) AbbreviationColo.with zip codeCO
2. a river in SW North America, rising in the Rocky Mountains and flowing southwest to the Gulf of California: famous for the 1600 km (1000 miles) of canyons along its course. Length: about 2320 km (1440 miles)
3. a river in central Texas, flowing southeast to the Gulf of Mexico. Length: about 1450 km (900 miles)
4. a river in central Argentina, flowing southeast to the Atlantic. Length: about 850 km (530 miles)

Colorado

1. State in the west-central United States in the Rocky Mountains , bordered by Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, Nebraska and Kansas to the east, Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south, and Utah to the west. Its capital and largest city is Denver .

Other Words From

• Col·o·rad·an Col·o·rad·o·an adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of colorado¹

< Spanish < Latin colōrātus colored. See color, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of colorado¹

Spanish, literally: red, from Latin colōrātus coloured, tinted red; see colour

Example Sentences

Some called for continuing to increase investments in local water supplies in Southern California to reduce reliance on imported water from the Delta and the Colorado River.

From Los Angeles Times

“It will help lower demands on our imported water sources from the Colorado River and on the Northern Sierra,” Ortega said.

From Los Angeles Times

The Biden administration has announced a range of options for new rules to address chronic water shortages and low reservoir levels on the Colorado River, a vital water source for seven Western states that has dwindled during more than two decades of drought compounded by climate change.

From Los Angeles Times

The average flow of the Colorado River, a major water source for seven states and northern Mexico, has shrunk about 20% since 2000, and scientists have estimated that roughly half that decline in flow has been caused by global warming driven by the burning of fossil fuels and rising levels of greenhouse gases.

From Los Angeles Times

New research examines how much global warming has sapped the Colorado River since 2000.

From Los Angeles Times