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# colon

«colon» in Mova's school dictionary: **the punctuation mark (:) that introduces a list, an…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a colon, colons)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A colon is the punctuation mark (:) that introduces a list, an explanation or an example: «You will need: a pen, a ruler and glue». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#m1)

2) The colon is the main part of the large intestine (large bowel), the tube in the body where water is taken out of food waste. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#m2)

3) In maths and times, a colon separates numbers: in ratios (2:3) and in clock times (7:30). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#m3)

4) The colon is the money of Costa Rica (colón). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In English grammar lessons, pupils use colons before lists, before an explanation, and in play scripts after a character's name. In science and health lessons, the colon is part of the digestive system after the small intestine. In maths, the colon in 3:2 is read «three to two» for a ratio. Phrases: «use a colon», «colon before a list», «the large intestine (colon)».

### examples

- Put a colon before the list. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#x1)
- Bring three things: a hat, a drink and sun cream. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#x2)
- The colon is part of the large intestine. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#x3)
- The ratio of boys to girls is 3:4. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#x4)
- School starts at 8:45. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#x5)
- In a play script, write a colon after the name: «Tom: Hello!» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/#x6)

### note

Countable. Not the same as a semicolon (;), which joins two linked sentences. In ratio problems, 2:3 means for every 2 of the first there are 3 of the second, so 5 parts in total. Do not confuse with «colonel» (an army officer) or «colony».

### In the corpora

- [A colon comes after a complete sentence and introduces a list, an explanation or an example.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens/9/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «colon» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/colon/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.