cola
gb/kˈoʊlə/ us/kˈoʊlə/
A1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
a sweet fizzy soft drink
A sweet fizzy drink like Coke or Pepsi.
Usage pattern:
a cola; [some] cola
Common mistake:
Learners may use cola for any soda; in English, cola usually means the specific cola flavor.
Synonyms
soft drink (Broader term; includes many flavors besides cola.)
|
soda (Common in American English; can mean any carbonated drink.)
Antonyms
water (Non-sweet, typically non-carbonated drink.)
Collocations
a can of cola
|a bottle of cola
|cola drink
|cola soda
|diet cola
|sugar-free cola
|cola with ice
|cola and fries
|cola brand
|cola flavor
Themes
food_and_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- Can I get a cola with no ice, please?
- She poured the cola into a glass and added a slice of lemon.
- They sell cola in cans and in two-liter bottles.
Learner examples
- I want a cola.
- He drank a cola at lunch.
Noun
informal
A2
entity
2
Coca-Cola (informal)
Coca-Cola.
Usage pattern:
a cola
Common mistake:
In some places people say “a Coke” for any cola; “a cola” is more neutral and usually not a brand claim.
Synonyms
Coke (More direct and often brand-specific; also used generically in some regions.)
Antonyms
store-brand cola (Opposite in the sense of not being the major brand.)
Collocations
a cold cola
|a cola from the fridge
|a cola with lunch
|a cola and a burger
|grab a cola
Themes
food_and_drink
|daily_life
|brands
Examples
- I’ll have a cola, please—whatever you have is fine.
- He grabbed a cola on the way out of the store.
Learner examples
- She bought a cola.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
kola tree (genus Cola)
A tropical tree that produces kola nuts.
Usage pattern:
a cola tree; Cola [species name]
Common mistake:
Often confused with the drink; capitalization (Cola) is common in scientific writing for the genus name.
Synonyms
kola tree (More common everyday term; same plant group.)
Collocations
cola tree
|Cola genus
|Cola species
|Cola acuminata
|Cola nitida
|kola nut
|tropical tree
Themes
nature
|plants
|food_and_drink
Examples
- The kola nut comes from trees in the genus Cola.
- Some Cola species are cultivated for their seeds.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
4
kola nut seed
A nut-like seed that can give energy.
Usage pattern:
cola nut(s)
Common mistake:
In modern English this is usually spelled “kola nut”; “cola nut” is less common.
Synonyms
kola nut (Standard spelling in modern English.)
Collocations
kola nut extract
|chew kola nuts
|kola nut caffeine
|kola nut flavor
Themes
food_and_drink
|plants
|health
Examples
- Kola nut extract was once a common ingredient in early cola recipes.
- In some cultures, people chew kola nuts as a stimulant.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cola
IPA
GB/kˈoʊlə/
US/kˈoʊlə/
Syllables & stress
cola (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cola)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cola
- Plural: cola, colas
Word family
Forms
colas
noun
Related words
coke
noun A2
Expressions
cherry cola
1/t͡ʃˈɛɹi kˈoʊlə/
fixed phrase
cola with cherry flavor
Cola that tastes like cherry.
Examples
- Cherry cola is my favorite flavor.
- The diner serves cherry cola in a tall glass.
cola bottle
1/kˈoʊlə bˈɑtəl/
fixed phrase
bottle shaped for cola
A bottle for cola, often the curvy kind.
Examples
- They found an old cola bottle in the back of the cupboard.
- The logo was printed on the side of the cola bottle.
cola wars
1/kˈoʊlə wˈɔɹz/
fixed phrase
competition between cola companies
Strong competition between cola brands.
Examples
- The documentary looks back at the cola wars of the 1980s.
- During the cola wars, both companies spent heavily on advertising.
diet cola
1/dˈaɪət kˈoʊlə/
fixed phrase
cola with no sugar
Cola with no sugar.
Examples
- He switched to diet cola to cut down on sugar.
- Do you want regular cola or diet cola?
rum and cola
1/ɹˈʌm ˈænd kˈoʊlə/
fixed phrase
a mixed drink with rum
A drink made with rum and cola.
Examples
- She ordered a rum and cola at the bar.
- For a lighter drink, use less rum in your rum and cola.