colonel

colo-nel · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A military rank above lieutenant colonel and below brigadier general, typically commanding a regiment or brigade.

  2. 2.

    A title of respect or honor, sometimes used in the southern United States.

Forms

plural: colonels

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    Colonel — used as a title before a name
  • •
    full colonel — a colonel as distinguished from a lieutenant colonel
  • •
    bird colonel — (military slang) a full colonel, from the eagle insignia

Related words

See also: general, military, officer, rank
Synonyms: commander, officer

Etymology

From Italian colonnello ("commander of a column of soldiers"), from colonna ("column"), from Latin columna. The word entered English in the mid-16th century. The unusual pronunciation /ˈkɜːrnəl/ (sounding like "kernel") arose from a competing French form coronel, and English eventually adopted the Italian spelling but retained the French-influenced pronunciation.