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colonel

colonel

noun ko-lo-NEL Less Common
People & Society Military

Usage Note

Colonel is pronounced with both 'l' sounds (ko-lo-nel), unlike the English word. The feminine form is colonelle. In the French army a colonel commands a régiment, with the rank sitting just below général de brigade. French borrowed the word from Italian colonnello in the 16th century.

Examples

"Le colonel a donné ses ordres aux soldats."

Natural Translation

The colonel gave his orders to the soldiers.

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