colonel

ˈkǝrnl n. 1. an army officer of high rank, in particular (in the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps) an officer above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general.

2. informal short for lieutenant colonel.

colonelcy ˈkǝrnlsē n. pl. -ies.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.