/ ˈkəʊlən; NAmE ˈkoʊ-/ noun
1.
the mark ( : ) used to introduce a list, a summary, an explanation, etc. or before reporting what sb has said
—compare semicolon
2.
( anatomy ) the main part of the large intestine (= part of the bowels )
—picture at organ
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WORD ORIGIN
sense 1 mid 16th cent. (as a term in rhetoric denoting a section of a complex sentence, or a pause before it): via Latin from Greek kōlon limb, clause.
sense 2 late Middle English : via Latin from Greek kolon .