col

The word “col” means a low dip or saddle-shaped pass in a mountain ridge between two peaks. In plain terms, a low point or gap along a mountain ridge, used as a pass between peaks.

“Col” is pronounced kol (/kɑl/ in IPA).

Here is “col” used in a sentence: “The hikers rested at the col before continuing to the summit.”

“Col” is a noun.

The word “col” comes from Latin. From French col, "neck," from Latin collum, "neck" — the shape of a mountain col resembles a neck between two higher points.

“Col” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Col” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a low dip or saddle-shaped pass in a mountain ridge between two peaks.

A col is the lowest dip or saddle in a mountain ridge between two peaks. A pass is a navigable route through or over mountains, and it often runs across a col, so a col is the geographic feature while a pass describes the crossing itself.

The two are very close in meaning and often used interchangeably. 'Saddle' emphasises the dipped, saddle-like shape of the ridge, while 'col' is the more technical geographic term for that low point between two peaks.

In meteorology a col is a region of relatively slack pressure sitting between two areas of high pressure and two of low pressure. Winds there tend to be light and variable, so the weather is often calm, and it can be prone to fog or mist.

Because a col is the lowest point on a ridge, it is often the easiest place for climbers and walkers to cross from one side of a mountain range to the other. Many established mountain routes and passes therefore run over cols.