n. 1. a. A commissioned rank in the US 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. 2. An honorary nonmilitary title awarded by some states of the United States. [Alteration of obsolete coronel, from French, from Old Italian colonello, from diminutive of colonna, column of soldiers, from Latin columna, column; see kel-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] colonel·cy, colonel·ship′ n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.