colony
noun
col·o·ny
| \ ˈkä-lə-nē
\
\
plural colonies
Definition of colony
1a
: a body of people living in a new territory but retaining ties with the parent state
a colony of settlers
b
: the territory inhabited by such a body
the 13 British colonies in America
2
: a distinguishable localized population within a species
a colony of termites bird colonies on the island
3a
: a circumscribed mass of microorganisms usually growing in or on a solid medium
colonies of bacteria
4a
: a group of individuals or things with common characteristics or interests situated in close association
an artist colony a nudist colony
b
: the section occupied by such a group
5
: a group of persons institutionalized away from others
a leper colony a penal colony
also
: the land or buildings occupied by such a group
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of colony in a Sentence
Massachusetts was one of the original 13 British colonies that later became the United States.
a former French colony in Africa
Recent Examples on the Web
When history fixates on the 13 original American colonies, the rest of the map, including Florida, seems to fall away. — al, "Slaves arrived in America, and Alabama, years before 1619," 23 Aug. 2019 Combined, these stresses contribute to an event known as a colony collapse, where many thousands of bees suddenly die. — Daniel Wolfe, Quartz, "Half a billion dead honey bees in Brazil show what happens when you roll back pesticide regulations," 22 Aug. 2019 That version of the flag features 13 stars in a circle, representing the original American colonies. — Tom Benning, Dallas News, "Ted Cruz gives Nike the boot over pulled flag sneakers, switching his own kicks to Adidas and Asics," 24 July 2019 The July 4th holiday – also known as Independence Day - commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 by delegates from the 13 original colonies. — Leada Gore | [email protected], al.com, "July 4th 2019: Best quotes, inspiration to celebrate America and patriotism on Independence Day," 4 July 2019 That year, a Philadelphia celebration included 13 fireworks set off on the Commons in honor of the 13 colonies. — Erin Davis And Katherine Dillinger, CNN, "A guide to 4th of July for non-Americans," 4 July 2019 The heels are decorated with the flag, known for its circular arrangement of 13 stars representing the 13 original colonies of the United States. _ _ _ The Washington Post’s Des Bieler and Eli Rosenberg contributed to this report. — John Wagner | The Washington Post, oregonlive.com, "McConnell urges Nike to reverse cancellation of Betsy Ross shoes," 3 July 2019 The Air Max 1 USA, featuring the Founding-era American flag with 13 white stars arranged in a circle to represent the original colonies, would have gone on sale to mark the Fourth of July holiday. — Editorial Board, WSJ, "Nike’s Patriotic Fumble," 2 July 2019 Nike had planned to release the Air Max 1 USA—featuring Ross's flag, with 13 stripes and 13 stars representing the original 13 American colonies—for sale this week. — Emily Caron, SI.com, "Arizona Governor Retaliates Against Nike After Company Cancels Betsy Ross Shoe," 2 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'colony.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for colony
colony
noun
English Language Learners Definition of colony
: an area that is controlled by or belongs to a country and is usually far away from it
: a group of people sent by a country to live in such a colony
: a group of plants or animals living or growing in one place
See the full definition for colony in the English Language Learners Dictionary
colony
noun
col·o·ny
| \ ˈkä-lə-nē
\
\
plural colonies
Kids Definition of colony
1
: a distant territory belonging to or under the control of a nation
2
: a group of people sent out by a government to a new territory
3
: a group of living things of one kind living together
a colony of ants
4
: a group of people with common qualities or interests located in close association
an art colony
colony
noun
col·o·ny
| \ ˈkäl-ə-nē
\
\
plural colonies
Medical Definition of colony
: a circumscribed mass of microorganisms usually growing in or on a solid medium
Keep scrolling for more