colon, n. [L. colon, colum, limb, member, the largest of the intestines, fr. Gr. kw^lon, and in sense of the intestine, ko`lon: cf. F. colon. Cf. Colic.].

A point or character, formed thus [:], used to separate parts of a sentence that are complete in themselves and nearly independent, often taking the place of a conjunction. [1913 Webster]

"[See Illust. of Digestion.]" [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

colon, n. a punctuation mark (:), used esp. to introduce a quotation or a list of items or to separate clauses when the second expands or illustrates the first; also between numbers in a statement of proportion (as in 10:1) and in Biblical references (as in Exodus 3:2).

colon, n. Anat. the lower and greater part of the large intestine, from the caecum to the rectum.

Derivative

colonic adj.

Etymology

ME, ult. f. Gk kolon

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THESAURUS

colon

Alexandrine, Deutschmark, Mark, Reichsmark, abdomen, accent, accentuation, afghani, amphibrach, amphimacer, anacrusis, anapest, anna, antispast, anus, appendix, arsis, bacchius, baht, beat, blind gut, boundary, bowels, brain, cadence, caesura, catalexis, cecum, cent, centavo, centime, chloriamb, chloriambus, comma, conto, counterpoint, cretic, dactyl, dactylic hexameter, diaeresis, dimeter, dipody, dochmiac, dollar, dong, duodenum, elegiac, elegiac couplet, elegiac pentameter, emphasis, endocardium, entrails, epitrite, feminine caesura, florin, foot, foregut, franc, giblets, gizzard, guilder, gulden, guts, heart, heptameter, heptapody, heroic couplet, hexameter, hexapody, hindgut, iamb, iambic, iambic pentameter, ictus, innards, inner mechanism, insides, internals, intestine, inwards, ionic, jejunum, jingle, juncture, kidney, kip, kishkes, kopeck, krona, krone, large intestine, lilt, lira, liver, liver and lights, lung, masculine caesura, measure, meter, metrical accent, metrical foot, metrical group, metrical unit, metron, midgut, milreis, molossus, mora, movement, numbers, paeon, pause, pentameter, pentapody, perineum, period, peseta, pie, piece of eight, pistareen, point, pound, proceleusmatic, pump, pylorus, pyrrhic, quantity, rand, rectum, rhythm, rial, ruble, rupee, semicolon, shekel, shilling, small intestine, sol, sou, spleen, spondee, sprung rhythm, stiver, stomach, stop, stress, swing, syzygy, tetrameter, tetrapody, tetraseme, thesis, ticker, tribrach, trimeter, tripes, tripody, triseme, trochee, vermiform appendix, viscera, vitals, won, works, yen

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ROGET THESAURUS

colon

Cessation

N cessation, discontinuance, desistance, desinence, intermission, remission, suspense, suspension, interruption, stop, stopping, closure, stoppage, halt, arrival, pause, rest, lull, respite, truce, drop, interregnum, abeyance, cloture, dead stop, dead stand, dead lock, finis, cerrado, blowout, burnout, meltdown, disintegration, comma, colon, semicolon, period, full stop, end, death, I pause for a reply.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.

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