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Definition of colombo

colombo

/kəˈlʌm.boʊ/
Co · lom · bo
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colombo Lexical Profile

• noun

1

The commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka, located on the western coast of the island nation.

2

The dried, bitter root of an East African climbing plant, traditionally used in medicine as a digestive tonic.

Example

"The 19th-century apothecary dispensed a tincture of colombo to soothe the patient's stomach ailment."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for colombo

• Rhymes for colombo

• Nearby Words

cologne
colombia
colombian
colombo
colon
colonel
colonelcy

Word Origin & Etymology

The name of the Sri Lankan city derives from the classical Sinhalese 'Kolamba' (meaning port, harbor, or ford), which was adopted by the Portuguese in 1505 and likely modified in spelling to honor Christopher Columbus (Colombo in Italian).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Colombo. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/colombo
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