Also 4– coloyne, 4–6 coleyn, (5 collongne), 5–6 coleyne, 6 colleyne, -ayne, 6–7 collen, cullin, -en, 7–8 colen, collin, 8 cologn, (9 coulogne). [In F. Cologne, Ger. Köln, MG. Cölen, Du. Keulen:—L. Colonia Agrippina, the ancient Roman name.] Name of a German city on the Rhine, famous in the Middle Ages on account of the shrine of the Wise Men of the East, commonly called the Three Kings of Cologne: used attrib. to designate things obtained from the city or district, esp. in early names of weapons, as Cologne brand, sword: also thread, etc.
c. 1310. Flemish Insurr., in Pol. Songs (Camden Soc.), 191. Into Coloyne.
c. 1400. Three Kings Cologne (E.E.T.S.), 2. Þree holy and worshipfull kyngis of Coleyn.
1436. Libel, in Wright, Pol. Songs, II. 171. Coleyne threde, fustiane, and canvase.
1483. Act 1 Rich. III., c. 10 § 1. Calle sylk or Coleyn silk throwen or wrought.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 555. Long speres called Colleyne Clowystes.
c. 1550. Otterburn, 200, in Child, Eng. & Sc. Ballads, VI. (1889), 298/1. They swapped together … Wyth swordes of fyne collayne.
c. 1592. Faustus, in Thoms, Prose Rom. (1858), III. 265. Of divers sorts, French wine, Cullen wine, Crabashir wine.
a. 1650. Arth. & King of Cornwall, 167, in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 68. Collen brand Ile haue in my hand, and a Millaine knife fast by me knee.
1673. Ray, Journ. Low C., 73. The three kings of Collen.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, VI. vii. Dickon wore a Cologne blade.
b. Cologne earth (umber, brown), a brown pigment obtained or prepared from lignite, originally from a bed near Cologne; Cologne yellow, a pigment consisting of a mixture of chromate and sulphate of lead with sulphate of lime.
1658. W. Sanderson, Graphice, 53. Terra lemnia, or Cullins earth. Ibid., 55 Colens-earth. Ibid., 57. Terra-Colen is easie to work.
1703. Art’s Improv., I. 39. Grind Collins-Earth very fine.
1809. Sowerby, Elucidation of Colours, 40. Terra Siennæ, umber and Coulognes earth are cheaper.
1835. G. Field, Chromatogr., 160. Cologn-Earth, incorrectly called Cullen’s earth.
1885. Encycl. Brit., XIX. 88. Real Vandyke Brown … allied to which are Cologne and Cassel Earth.
c. Cologne water = EAU DE COLOGNE, a perfumed spirit, manufactured at Cologne since 1709; in U.S. often called simply Cologne.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess., Ser. II. iv. 120. Steeped in Cologne-water, and perfumed.
1863. B. Taylor, H. Thurston, I. 265. Teacups, bowls, and even a cologne bottle.
1875. Howells, Foregone Concl., ix. 150. She brought her water and cologne.
