colonel

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: colo=nel

CIDE DICTIONARY

colonel, n. [F. colonel, It. colonello, prop., the chief or commander of a column, fr. colonna column, L. columna. See Column.].

 The chief officer of a regiment; an officer ranking next above a lieutenant colonel and next below a brigadier general.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

colonel, n.
1 an army officer in command of a regiment, immediately below a brigadier in rank.
2 US an officer of corresponding rank in the Air Force.
3 = lieutenant-colonel.

Idiom

Colonel Blimp see BLIMP n. 1.

Derivative

colonelcy n. (pl. -ies).

Etymology

obs. F coronel f. It. colonnello f. colonna COLUMN

THESAURUS

colonel

ADC, CO, OD, aide, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigadier general, captain, chicken colonel, chief of staff, commandant, commander, commander in chief, commanding officer, commissioned officer, company officer, exec, executive officer, field marshal, field officer, first lieutenant, five-star general, four-star general, general, general officer, generalissimo, jemadar, junior officer, lieutenant, lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, major, major general, marechal, marshal, officer, one-star general, orderly officer, risaldar, senior officer, shavetail, sirdar, staff officer, subahdar, subaltern, sublieutenant, the Old Man, the brass, three-star general, top brass, two-star general

ROGET THESAURUS

colonel

Master

N master, padrone, lord, lord paramount, commander, commandant, captain, chief, chieftain, sirdar, sachem, sheik, head, senior, governor, ruler, dictator, leader, boss, cockarouse, sagamore, werowance, lord of the ascendant, cock of the walk, cock of the roost, gray mare, mistress, potentate, liege, liege lord, suzerain, sovereign, monarch, autocrat, despot, tyrant, oligarch, crowned head, emperor, king, anointed king, majesty, imperator, protector, president, stadholder, judge, ceasar, kaiser, czar, tsar, sultan, soldan, grand Turk, caliph, imaum, shah, padishah, sophi, mogul, great mogul, khan, lama, tycoon, mikado, tenno, inca, cazique, voivode, landamman, seyyid, Abuna, cacique, czarowitz, grand seignior, prince, duke, archduke, doge, elector, seignior, marland, margrave, rajah, emir, wali, sheik nizam, nawab, empress, queen, sultana, czarina, princess, infanta, duchess, margravine, czarevna, czarita, maharani, rani, rectrix, regent, viceroy, exarch, palatine, khedive, hospodar, beglerbeg, three-tailed bashaw, pasha, bashaw, bey, beg, dey, scherif, tetrarch, satrap, mandarin, subahdar, nabob, maharajah, burgrave, laird, collector, commissioner, deputy commissioner, woon, the authorities, the powers that be, the government, staff, etat major, aga, official, man in office, person in authority, sircar, sirkar, Sublime Porte, marshal, field marshal, marechal, general, generalissimo, commander in chief, seraskier, hetman, lieutenant general, major general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, centurion, skipper, lieutenant, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, sublieutenant, officer, staff officer, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigade major, adjutant, jemidar, ensign, cornet, cadet, subaltern, noncommissioned officer, warrant officer, sergeant, sergeant major, color sergeant, corporal, corporal major, lance corporal, acting corporal, drum major, captain general, dizdar, knight marshal, naik, pendragon, mayor, mayoralty, prefect, chancellor, archon, provost, magistrate, syndic, alcalde, alcaid, burgomaster, corregidor, seneschal, alderman, councilman, committeeman, councilwoman, warden, constable, portreeve, lord mayor, officer, dewan, fonctionnaire, admiral, admiralty, rear admiral, vice admiral, port admiral, commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, skipper, mate, master, officer of the day, OD, navarch, da locum melioribus, der Furst ist der erste Diener seines Staats, the prince is the first servant of his state, lord of thy presence and no land beside.