colonus

[ kuh-loh-nuhs ]

noun,plural co·lo·ni [kuh-loh-nahy, -nee]. /kəˈloʊ naɪ, -ni/.
  1. a serf in the latter period of the Roman Empire or in the early feudal period.

Origin of colonus

1
First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin colōnus “inhabitant of a colony, tenant farmer, farmer,” derivative of colere “to inhabit, till, cultivate”; cf. cult, cultivate

Words Nearby colonus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use colonus in a sentence