in anatomy, the first and most considerable of the large intestines. See ANATOMY, under n° 93.

grammar, a point, or character formed thus [;], serving to mark a pause, and to divide the members of a period. See POINTING; see also PERIOD, COMMA, and SEMICOLON. Grammarians generally assign the use of a colon to be, to mark the middle of a period; or to conclude a sentence less perfect than the dot or period;—but, a sentence less perfect than the period, is an expression extremely vague and indeterminate. See PERIOD.

Others say, a colon is to be used when the sentence is perfect, but the sentence not concluded: but neither is this over clear and express.

A late author, in an ingenious discourse, De ratione interpungendi, marks the office of the colon, and wherein it differs from the semicolon, &c. more precisely. A colon, on his principles, serves to distinguish those conjunct members of a sentence, which are capable of being divided into other members; whereof one, at least, is conjunct. Thus, in the sentence, As we cannot discern the shadow moving along the dial-plate, so the advances we make in knowledge are only perceived by the distance gone over; the two members being both simple, are only separated by a comma. In this, As we perceive the shadow to have moved, but did not perceive it moving; and it appears the grass has grown, though nobody ever saw it grow: so the advances we make in knowledge, as they consist of such minute steps, are only perceivable by the distance—the advancement in knowledge is compared to the motion of a shadow, and the growth of grass; which comparison divides the sentence into two principal parts: but since what is said of the movement of the shadow, and likewise of the growth of grass, contains two simple members, they are to be separated by a semicolon; consequently a higher pointing is required to separate them from the other part of the sentence, which they are opposed to: and this is a colon. See PUNCTUATION.