colonel

col·o·nel

noun \ˈkər-n^əl\

Definition of COLONEL

1

a : a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general b : lieutenant colonel

2

: a minor titular official of a state especially in southern or midland United States —used as an honorific title

— col·o·nel·cy \-n^əl-sē\ noun

Examples of COLONEL

1. He retired as a colonel in the air force.

Origin of COLONEL

alteration of coronel, from Middle French, modification of Old Italian colonnello column of soldiers, colonel, diminutive of colonna column, from Latin columna

First Known Use: 1567

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Rhymes with COLONEL

journal, kernel, sternal, vernal