Colonel
WordNet
noun
(1) A commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
WiktionaryText
Etymology
First attested 1548, from coronel, from Italian colonnello the officer of a small company of soldiers (column) that marched at the head of a regiment, from compagna colonnella little column company, from columna pillar.
Noun
- A commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps. In U.S. military, it ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general.