col

Everyday

1. (geography) The lowest point on a ridge between two mountain peaks, often used as a pass to cross the mountains. tree →
2. (abbreviation) Col. is short for Colonel, an army officer's rank. tree →
3. (abbreviation) col. is short for column, in tables and newspapers. tree →
4. In some dialect writing, col' is a spelling of cold. tree →

In the lessons

In geography lessons on mountains, a col is a dip between two peaks, and walkers and roads often cross there; in cycling races like the Tour de France, many mountain passes are called «Col» (Col du Tourmalet). In writing, «Col.» before a name means Colonel, and «col.» in a table means column. It tells the reader about a mountain pass or a short form.

Examples

• We climbed up to the col between the two peaks. tree →
• The road crosses the mountains at a high col. tree →
• The cyclists raced over the Col du Tourmalet. tree →
• Col. Smith commanded the regiment. tree →
• Look at col. 3 in the table for the totals. tree →
• Snow often lies in the col until summer. tree →

Note

Countable as a mountain word: a col, cols. As an abbreviation it has a full stop: «Col.» (colonel, with a capital C before a name) and «col.» (column). «Colonel» is said «KER-nul», not «col-o-nel».