colon1
Syllabification: (co·lon)
Pronunciation: /ˈkōlən/
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Definition of colon
noun
Origin:
mid 16th century (as a term in rhetoric denoting a section of a complex sentence, or a pause before it): via Latin from Greek kōlon 'limb, clause'
Grammar
A punctuation mark with three main uses: to introduce a list:There are two other varieties of cedarwood oil: Texas (Juniperus ashei) and Virginian (Juniperus virginiana). to introduce a piece of direct speech, or a quotation:At once he said: “I do not mean your immediate brief journey.” to separate two parts of a sentence where the first leads on to the second:And that is the end of the poor man’s hopes: there is no return to eligibility. See also commas, colons, and semicolons.
