Definition
To place two or more navigation aids, facilities, or pieces of equipment at the same physical location so they share a common site. In aviation, this typically refers to navigation facilities such as a VOR and a DME being installed together so that they provide bearing and distance information from a single reference point.
Plain English
To put two things in the same place. When two navigation aids are colocated, they sit at the same spot on the ground.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport, navigation, communication, and weather-equipment discussions when describing where equipment or services are installed.
Derivation
From the Latin 'co-' meaning 'together' and 'locare' meaning 'to place.' Literally 'placed together.' Knowing this makes the aviation use easy to remember: two facilities placed together at one site.
Why Pilots Care
When a VOR and DME are colocated, the bearing and distance you receive refer to the same point on the ground, so your position fix is accurate. If they were at separate sites, the readings would not match and could mislead your navigation.
Intuition Check
Colocate does not mean combine separate things into one device. It means place separate things at the same site or very close together.
Example Sentence 1
The DME is colocated with the VOR, so the distance reading is measured from the same point as the bearing.
Example Sentence 2
When the localizer and glide slope are colocated, the approach provides guidance from a single reference point.