col|lo|qui|al

col|lo|qui|al
col|lo|qui|al «kuh LOH kwee uhl», adjective.
1. used in common talk; belonging to everyday, familiar talk; informal; conversational: »

“The boxer clipped his opponent on the jaw” and “That was a close shave; you nearly ran over the dog!” are colloquial expressions.

Abbr: colloq.
2. of or having to do with colloquy or conversation: »

The colloquial wit has always his own radiance reflected on himself (Samuel Johnson).

–col|lo´qui|al|ly, adverb.
–col|lo´qui|al|ness, noun.
Usage Colloquial means conversational, used in speaking. Since the speech of people varies with their education, work, and social status, there are obviously many different types of colloquial English. Since the bulk of conversation is informal, colloquial suggests informal rather than formal English. It need not, however, mean the speech of uneducated people, and should be distinguished from slang. As used in many dictionaries, colloquial refers to informal cultivated English. In this dictionary, the label Informal is preferred to Colloquial to avoid confusion.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • col|lo´qui|al|ly — col|lo|qui|al «kuh LOH kwee uhl», adjective. 1. used in common talk; belonging to everyday, familiar talk; informal; conversational: »“The boxer clipped his opponent on the jaw” and “That was a close shave; you nearly ran over the dog!” are… …   Useful english dictionary

  • col|lo|qui|um — «kuh LOH kwee uhm», noun, plural qui|um or qui|a. 1. a meeting or conference, especially one of a body of scholars, scientists, or other specialists, on a specified subject or topic: »a physics colloquium. 2. = seminar. (Cf. ↑seminar) …   Useful english dictionary

  • col|lo|qui|al|i|ty — «kuh LOH kwee AL uh tee», noun, plural ties. 1. colloquial quality or style: »He delights in homeliness [and] colloquiality (Atlantic). 2. a colloquial expression: »We must take care that we are not led…into mean colloquialities (Blackwell s… …   Useful english dictionary

  • col|lo|qui|a — «kuh LOH kwee uh», noun. a plural of colloquium …   Useful english dictionary

  • col|lo´qui|al|ness — col|lo|qui|al «kuh LOH kwee uhl», adjective. 1. used in common talk; belonging to everyday, familiar talk; informal; conversational: »“The boxer clipped his opponent on the jaw” and “That was a close shave; you nearly ran over the dog!” are… …   Useful english dictionary

  • col|lo|qui|al|ism — «kuh LOH kwee uh LIHZ uhm», noun. 1. a colloquial word or phrase. 2. colloquial style or usage: »Their language is…an actual transcript of the colloquialism of the day (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) …   Useful english dictionary

  • col·lo·qui·al — …   Useful english dictionary

  • col·lo·qui·al·ism — /kəˈloʊkwijəˌlızəm/ noun, pl isms [count] : a word or phrase that is used mostly in informal speech : a colloquial expression His English is very good, but he has trouble understanding certain colloquialisms …   Useful english dictionary

  • col — [ kɔl ] n. m. • 1080; lat. collum → cou I ♦ 1 ♦ Vx Cou. Mod. Loc. Se hausser, se pousser du col : se faire valoir, prendre de grands airs. « Elle s en croit. Il y a sa mère aussi, qui se pousse du col » (Sartre). 2 ♦ Partie étroite, rétrécie (d… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Col Roulé — Sous pull blanc à col roulé porté sous un chemisier Un col roulé est un vêtement unisexe se caractérisant par son haut col ajusté qui se rabat et couvre le cou. Il s agit d un « pull over en maille fine se caractérisant par son col… …   Wikipédia en Français

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