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colony

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Colony

English

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Map showing African colonies (region ruled by another country) in 1913.
A colony (group of organisms living together) of king penguins.

Etymology

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From Middle English colane, colonye, from Latin colōnia (“colony”), from colōnus (“farmer; colonist”), from colō (“till, cultivate, worship”), from earlier *quelō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). Doublet of Cologne, Colonia, and Köln.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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colony (plural colonies)

  1. An area under the political control of another country and typically occupied by settlers (colonists) from it, or by their descendants.
    Much of the eastern United States was formerly a British colony; other areas were French, Spanish, Dutch, or Swedish colonies.
    Bermuda is a crown colony of Great Britain.
    • 1719, “An ACT, Stating the due Aſſize of Bread”, in The Charter Granted by His Majeſty, King Charles the Second, to the Colony of Rhode-Iſland, and Providence-plantations in America‎[1], John Allen, page 59:
      And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That in every Town in the Colony, where Bread is Baken for Sale, there ſhall be Choſen one Clerk of the Market, or more, as each Town ſhall find needful, at their Annual Election of Town Officers, who ſhall duly be Engaged, to the faithful performance of ſaid Office, as other Town Officers are ; […]
    • 1939, Frederic Majer, Our Country's Money:
      […] money problems and refusal to supply them with British coins were two big reasons why the thirteen colonies rebelled and declared their independence.
  2. A group of people who settle such an area and maintain ties to their native country, and (later) their descendants.
    • 2006, Kenneth H. Beeson Jr., Fromajadas and Indigo: The Minorcan Colony in Florida, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN:
      The question of ecclesiastical jurisdiction had to be answered before the colony sailed for East Florida.
  3. A group of people, of one nationality, ethnic group, or language, residing in a different country, city, or area; the area such people occupy.
    a colony of British expats in Spain
    The Amana Colonies in Iowa were settled by people from Germany.
  4. A group of people with similar interests, occupations, or characteristics, living in a particular area; the area such people occupy.
    a nudist colony; the statue was put up right in the middle of the artist colony
    a leper colony on the outskirts of town; most buildings in the penal colony were made of concrete
  5. (biology) A group of organisms of same or different species living together in close association.
    ant colony; coral colony
    a colony of specialized polyps and medusoids
  6. A group of bacteria, fungi or other cells cultured together, especially from a single cell.
    colonies of stem cells
  7. (India) An apartment complex or neighborhood.
    Our colony is quite small, but each apartment is large.
  8. A local group of Beaver Scouts.
  9. A potential new chapter of a fraternity or sorority awaiting official recognition from their headquarters.
    • 2018 January 7, Rick Rojas, “A Partial Win for Prosecutors Who Targeted Fraternity After Student’s Death”, in New York Times‎[2]:
      That weekend in 2013, fraternity members from Baruch, a commuter school in Manhattan whose Pi Delta Psi colony was only about three years old, gathered in a large rental house in Tunkhannock Township, Pa. Early on a frigid morning, Mr. Deng followed the other pledges in putting on a blindfold and backpack.

Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Tok Pisin: koloni
  • → Tokelauan: kolone

Translations

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See also

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Verb

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colony (third-person singular simple present colonies, present participle colonying, simple past and past participle colonied)

  1. (obsolete, rare, transitive) To colonize.
    • 1649, [John Cleveland], “A Deep Groan, Fetch’d at the Funerall of That Incomparable and Glorious Monarch, […]”, in Monumentum Regale or A Tombe, Erected for That Incomparable and Glorious Monarch, Charles the First, […], [London], page 36:
      Such black Attendants Colonied thy Cell, / But for thy Preſence, Car’sbrook had been Hell.
    • 1655, Luis de Camoens, translated by Richard Fanshaw, “Fourth Canto”, in The Lusiad, or, Portugals Historicall Poem: […], London: […] Humphrey Moseley, […], stanza 9, page 76:
      The noble Island (which was colonied [translating habitavam] / Sometime by Tyrians) was not wanting here, / Who, on their Banners in thoſe days of yore / The famous Pillars of Alcides bore.
    • [1792], Flavius Josephus, translated by George Henry Maynard, “Continuation of the History of the Jews, from the Time of Flavius Josephus. […]”, in The Whole Genuine and Complete Works of Flavius Josephus, […], London: […] C. Cooke, […], book I, chapter III (Rebellion of the Jews under Adrian, of Barchochebas and Akiba, […]), page 556, column 1:
      The emperor meant rather to ſignify, by the altar and ſacrifice, that the old religion was aboliſhed in this province, which he had colonied with new inhabitants.
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