colon: There are two distinct words colon in English. Colon ‘part of the large intestine’ [16] comes via Latin from Greek kólon, which meant ‘food, meat’ as well as ‘large intestine’. Colon the punctuation mark [16] comes via Latin from Greek kōlon, which originally meant literally ‘limb’. It was applied metaphorically (rather like foot) to a ‘unit of verse’, and hence to a ‘clause’ in general, meanings which survive in English as technical terms. From there it was a short step to the main present-day meaning, ‘punctuation mark’.
colon (n.1)
punctuation mark, 1540s, from Latin colon "part of a poem," from Greek kolon (with a long initial -o-) "part of a verse," literally "limb, member" (especially the leg, but also of a tree limb), also, figuratively, "a clause of a sentence," from PIE root *(s)kel- (3) "bent, crooked" (see scoliosis). Meaning evolved from "independent clause" to punctuation mark that sets it off.
colon (n.2)
"large intestine," late 14c., from Latinized form of Greek kolon (with a short initial -o-) "large intestine," which is of unknown origin.
雙語例句
1. Calcium may aid in the prevention of colon cancer.
鈣可能有助于預防結腸癌。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Here, too, the colon must be followed by a dash.
這里也是一樣, 應當在冒號后加破折號.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
3. Dr Lee believes that men who exercise can halve their risk of cancer of the colon.
李醫生相信，鍛煉身體能使患結腸癌的風險降低一半。
來自柯林斯例句
4. There is a colon omitted in this sentence.
這個句子中丟了一個冒號。
來自辭典例句
5. The colon, or large intestine, distends and fills with gas.