col

Col is a term with several meanings across geography, military, and data contexts. The word originates from the French col, meaning neck or pass between mountains, and in geographic usage describes a saddle-shaped pass and the low point that connects valleys or basins through mountain terrain.

In physical geography, a col refers to a mountain pass or saddle between two summits. It is typically a natural route through mountainous terrain and often forms a low point on a ridge that connects adjacent valleys. The term appears in many alpine and Pyrenean place names, such as Col de l'Iseran or Col du Tourmalet, and is used by hikers, climbers, and cartographers to designate passes.

In military terminology, Col. is the abbreviation for colonel, a senior officer rank in many armed forces. The rank derives from Italian colonnello, which itself traces to Latin columna (column), reflecting historical formations of troops in columns. Col. is a common honorific and official designation before a name in English and in several other languages.

In information technology and data contexts, col is shorthand for column, referring to a vertical set of data within a table, spreadsheet, or database. It is used in programming, queries, and data processing to reference or manipulate specific columns.

Other uses include Col as a given name or nickname, often short for Colin or Colton in English-speaking contexts, and as an informal shorthand in various historical or literary references. The meaning of Col is thus highly context-dependent, spanning geography, military, and data terminology.