colonel

Definitions

1. A commissioned officer in an armed military organization, typically the highest rank before flag officer ranks (generals). It is generally found in armies, air forces or naval infantry (marines).
2. chief; president; head; leader of a business, political party, or other organization
3. The military officer title.
4. A military leader, distinct from the modern professional military rank.
   historical
5. boss; supervisor; manager
6. (often abbreviated to Col . when written) an army officer in charge of a regiment. kolonel عَقيد полковник coronel plukovník der Oberst oberst συνταγματάρχηςcoronel kolonel سرهنگ eversti colonel/-elle קולונל कर्नल pukovnik ezredes kolonel ofursti colonnello 大佐 연대장 pulkininkas pulkvedis kolonel koloneloberstpułkownik ډګروال coronel colonel полковник plukovník polkovnik pukovnik överste พันเอก albay 陸軍上校 полковник فوج کا کرنل đại tá 陆军上校
   often abbreviated to
7. An honorary civilian title bestowed by some southern US states, most commonly Kentucky; notably Colonel Sanders of KFC.
8. colonel; major; rank between captain and general
9. A commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above lieutenant colonel and below brigadier general.
10. An informal title used to address an elderly man.
    Southern-US, dated
11. chief
12. An honorary nonmilitary title awarded by some states of the United States.
13. A form of address for an auctioneer, from the American Civil War practice of commanding officers organizing the public sale of seized goods.
    US
14. boss
15. (Military) an officer of land or air forces junior to a brigadier but senior to a lieutenant colonel
16. an officer in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps ranking above lieutenant colonel.
17. a commissioned officer of similar rank in other nations.
18. Southern U.S. a. an honorary title bestowed by some states, esp. on visiting dignitaries.
19. n → Oberst m; (as address) → Herr Oberst
    n

Equivalents

Examples

“The colonel and his sponsor⟳ made a queer contrast: Greystone long and stringy, with a face⟳ that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it. […] But there was not a more lascivious reprobate and gourmand in all London than this same Greystone.”

“General Charles-Maximilian Fiennes was made colonel of the army.”

“"Colonel" was often used as an honorific, indicating no actual military service: between 1792 and 1916, according to Ron Bryant, a curator at the Kentucky Historical Society, 400 of the 650 colonels commissioned were honorary.”

“Consequently the necessity for the reorganization of the Guard, during the ten months’ absence of yourself and Colonels Smith and Banks, could not have⟳ been averted under our present⟳ Military Code.”

CEFR level