colony

¹

[ kol-uh-nee ]

noun

, plural col·o·nies.

1. a country or territory claimed and forcibly taken control of by a foreign power which sends its own people to settle there:

   Many African nations are former European colonies.

2. a group of people who leave their native country to form a settlement in a territory that their own government has claimed and forcibly taken control of:

   The Spanish colony in Mexico was numerous, powerful, and rich.

3. any people or territory separated from but subject to a ruling power.
4. the Colonies, the British territories that formed the original 13 states of the United States: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
5. a number of people coming from the same country or speaking the same language, residing in a foreign country or city or in a particular section of it; enclave:

   There is a sizable Polish colony in Israel.

6. 1. any group of individuals having similar interests, occupations, etc., usually living in a particular locality; community:

      After college she joined a colony of artists in Florence.

   2. the district, quarter, or dwellings inhabited by such a group:

      The Greek island is now an artists' colony.

   Synonyms: band, body

7. Microbiology. a collection or mass of bacteria growing together as the descendants of a single cell.
8. Ecology. a group of organisms of the same kind living or growing in close association.

Colony

²

[ kol-uh-nee ]

noun

1. The, a city in NE Texas.

colony

/ ˈkɒlənɪ /

noun

1. a body of people who settle in a country distant from their homeland but maintain ties with it
2. the community formed by such settlers
3. a subject territory occupied by a settlement from the ruling state
4. 1. a community of people who form a national, racial, or cultural minority

      the American colony in London

      an artists' colony

   2. the area itself
5. zoology
   1. a group of the same type of animal or plant living or growing together, esp in large numbers
   2. an interconnected group of polyps of a colonial organism
6. bacteriol a group of bacteria, fungi, etc, derived from one or a few spores, esp when grown on a culture medium

colony

/ kŏl′ə-nē /

1. A group of the same kind of animals, plants, or one-celled organisms living or growing together. Organisms live in colonies for their mutual benefit, and especially their protection. Multicellular organisms may have evolved out of colonies of unicellular organisms.

Other Words From

• sem·i·col·o·ny noun plural semicolonies
• sub·col·o·ny noun plural subcolonies

Word History and Origins

Origin of colony¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English colonie, from Middle French or directly from Latin colōnia, from colōn(us) colonus + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of colony¹

C16: from Latin colōnia, from colere to cultivate, inhabit

Example Sentences

On the morning the Mountain fire erupted, wind gusts were so strong in Somis that several of the sturdy wooden boxes that housed Eduardo Flores’s bee colonies had already blown over.

From Los Angeles Times

Foraging for resources is an essential process for the daily life of an ant colony, and ants will self-organize using chemical pheromones.

From Science Daily

The Freedom of Russia Legion is designated as terrorist organisation by Russia, and Arseny was sentenced to five years in a juvenile colony.

From BBC

"We have little penguins - a large colony of them," he said.

From BBC

As its former colonies gained independence in the middle of the last century, Britain continued to play a sort of "big brother" role.

From BBC

Related Words

• outpost
• protectorate
• province
• territory