the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noun-plural. The leading British funded government security.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
Government securities of Great Britain, including a large part of the public debt, the full name of which is “the three per cent. consolidated annuities.”
Word Usage
"But really, the SF books have got to start doing better than shots of planets, space ship consols, and meaningless towerscapes like the Banks book."