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colonel

The definition of a colonel is a high ranking military officer.

(noun)

An example of colonel is an individual in the Army who is an officer in rank above a lieutenant colonel but below a brigadier general.

See colonel in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a military officer ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general, and corresponding to a captain in the navy
☆ an honorary, nonmilitary title in some southern or western U.S. states

Origin: earlier coronel < Fr colonel, coronel (-r- by dissimilation) < It colonello < colonna, (military) column < L columna, column; Fr & E sp. modified after L & It, but older pronun. kept in E

Related Forms:

colonelcy noun pl. colonelcies

See colonel in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. Abbr. COL or Col or Col. A commissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above lieutenant colonel and below brigadier general.
b. One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.
An honorary nonmilitary title awarded by some states of the United States.

Origin:

Origin: Alteration of obsolete coronel

Origin: , from French

Origin: , from Old Italian colonello

Origin: , from

Origin: diminutive of colonna, column of soldiers

Origin: , from Latin columna, column; see kel-² in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: