Colonel
/ˈkɝː.nəl/noun
A military officer ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general.
Did you know?English borrowed the word through French and Italian from a military term ultimately tied to a “column” of troops, while the strange modern pronunciation came from centuries of spelling confusion.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
Italian
colonnello
“Commander of a regiment or column of soldiers”
16th Century
French
coronel
“Military commander; regiment leader”
Late 16th Century
English
coronel
“Military officer commanding a regiment”
17th Century
English
colonel
“A military officer commanding a regiment”
Modern English
English
colonel
“A senior army officer rank”