colonel
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A commissioned officer in an armed military organization, usually the highest rank before flag officer ranks.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kurnuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkɝnəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A commissioned officer in an armed military organization, typically the highest rank before flag officer ranks (generals). It is generally found in armies, air forces or naval infantry (marines).
An honorary civilian title bestowed by some southern US states, most commonly Kentucky; notably Colonel Sanders of KFC.
military
The military officer title.
us
A form of address for an auctioneer, from the American Civil War practice of commanding officers organizing the public sale of seized goods.
verb
intransitive
To act as or like a colonel.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Any elderly pompous reactionary ultranationalistic person (after the cartoon character created by Sir David Low).
A commissioned officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines holding a rank above major and below colonel.
A commissioned officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines holding a rank above major and below colonel.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
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