col

1 of 7

noun

ˈkäl 

: saddle sense 3

col

2 of 7

abbreviation (1)

1

colonial

2

colony

3

color; colored

4

column

5

counsel

col

3 of 7

abbreviation (2)

variants or coll

1

collateral

2

collect; collected; collection

3

college; collegiate

Col

4 of 7

abbreviation (3)

1

colonel

2

Colorado

3

Colossians

COL

5 of 7

abbreviation (4)

1

colonel

2

cost of living

col-

6 of 7

prefix

see com-

col-

7 of 7

combining form

variants or coli- or colo-

1

: colon

colitis

colostomy

2

[New Latin Escherichia coli, species of colon bacillus] : E. coli

coliform

coliphage

Synonyms

Noun

• canyon
• cañon
• couloir
• defile
• flume
• gap
• gill [British]
• gorge
• gulch
• gulf
• kloof [South African]
• linn [chiefly Scottish]
• notch
• pass
• ravine
• saddle

Examples of col in a Sentence

Noun

a remote col in the Alps

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The French Alps Why: Conquering the storied HC (hors catégorie) climbs and cols of the French Alps provides the ultimate cycling bragging rights. —Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 13 May 2025

After the days of hiking through dense foliage to reach the 9,900-foot Waddington-Combatant col, the climb to the summit felt straightforward by comparison. —Corbin Reiff, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2024

Both of these scenic valleys are cradled by cols that border France and Switzerland and have scenic trails leading to viewpoints of the Mont Blanc massif. —Outside Online, 16 July 2024

The highest point of the trail is at 3,008 feet, on a viewless col (the lowest point between peaks) off of Blue Mountain. —Jessica McKenzie, National Geographic, 16 Nov. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Middle French, neck, from Latin collum

Combining form

New Latin, from Latin colon

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

col-

see com-

Medical Definition

col

abbreviation

1

colony

2

color