Advertisement
kola (n.)
"the cola nut," 1830, variant of cola (q.v.).
Entries linking to kola
cola (n.)
1795, genus of small evergreen trees native to west Africa, introduced and nativized in New World tropics, from a Latinized form of a West African name of the tree (compare Temne kola, Mandingo kolo). The cola-nut contains much caffeine.
Meaning "carbonated soft drink" is 1919, short for Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, and their many imitators. A 1900 publication ("Alcohol," by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union) lists the names of drinks found to contain caffeine and extract of coca leaf:
Afri Cola, Ala Cola, Cafe Coca, Carre Cola, Celery Cola, Chan Ola, Chera Cola, Coca Beta, Coca Cola, Pilsbury's Coke, Cola Coke, Cream Cola, Dope, Four Kola, Hayo Kola, Heck's Cola, Kaye Ola, Koca Nola, Koke, Kola Ade, Kola Kola, Kola Phos, Koloko, Kos Kola, Lime Cola, Lima Ola, Mellow Nip, Nerv Ola, Revive Ola, Rocola, Rye Ola, Standard Cola, Toka Tona, Tokola, Vim-O, French Wine of Coca, Wise Ola.
Share kola
‘cite’
Page URL:
https://www.etymonline.com/word/kola
HTML Link:
<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/kola">Etymology of kola by etymonline</a>
APA style:
Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of kola. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/kola
Chicago style:
Harper Douglas, “Etymology of kola,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/kola.
MLA style:
Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of kola.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/kola. Accessed $(datetimeMla).
IEEE style:
D. Harper. “Etymology of kola.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/kola (accessed $(datetime)).
updated on August 29, 2012
Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of kola from WordNet
1
kola (n.)
tree bearing large brown nuts containing e.g. caffeine; source of cola extract;
Synonyms: kola nut / kola nut tree / goora nut / Cola acuminata
2
Kola (n.)
a Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad;
Synonyms: Daba / Musgoi
From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.
Dictionary entries near kola
kohl
kohlrabi
koi
koine
koinonia
kola
kolkhoz
Komodo dragon
Komsomol
kook
kookaburra