colic
/ˈkɒl.ɪk/noun, adjective
colic is spelled C-O-L-I-C: 5 letters. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, colic means “Severe pains that grip the abdomen or the disease that causes such pains (due to intestinal or bowel-related problems)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of colic is colics.
How many letters and syllables are in colic?
| Letters | 5: C-O-L-I-C |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is colic?
Colic appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce colic?
- /ˈkɒl.ɪk/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-colic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of colic
- colics plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does colic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Severe pains that grip the abdomen or the disease that causes such pains (due to intestinal or bowel-related problems).
Near-synonyms: cramps, stomachache
- 2
Severe fussiness and crying, especially of infants with certain medical conditions.
- 3
A medicinal plant used to relieve such symptoms.
adjective
- 1
Relating to the colon; colonic.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Colic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does colic come from?
Borrowed from French colique. Ultimately derived from Ancient Greek κωλικός (kōlikós, “suffering in the colon”, adjective).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).