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
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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
Experts said the strikes were likely the biggest to have rocked the city since at least 1967, when Hong Kong was still a British colony. — Julia Hollingsworth, CNN, "Hong Kong protests: The evolution of a movement," 16 Aug. 2019 Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997, when China absorbed Hong Kong in a handover. — Elizabeth Lawrence, USA TODAY, "Hong Kong's airport canceled all flights on Monday as protests raged. Here's why.," 12 Aug. 2019 For many years, dating back to when Hong Kong was a British colony, the authorities have trodden carefully with the village residents. — Austin Ramzy, New York Times, "Clashes and Tear Gas as Hong Kong Police Confront Protesters in Yuen Long," 27 July 2019 The culprit was a colony of voracious beavers, which had felled the trees to feast on their leaves and construct dams from their branches. — Luján Agusti, National Geographic, "Argentina brought beavers to Tierra del Fuego. It was not a good idea.," 25 July 2019 At some protests, attendees broke out into the Puerto Rican revolutionary hymn, written in 1868 when Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony. — Ana Campoy, Quartz, "What’s next for Puerto Rico?," 25 July 2019 Another dish Nguyen is looking forward to sharing is pho, which originated in France, as Vietnam was a colony of that country. — Cathy Kozlowicz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A Vietnam native combined the best of Wisconsin and Vietnam for a new Menomonee Falls restaurant," 10 July 2019 See a cricket game or take a polo lesson Again, Barbados was a British colony for over 300 years, and remnants of the culture are everywhere—particularly in the realm of sport. — Kaitlin Menza, Town & Country, "The Best Things to Do, Eat, and See in Barbados," 15 Nov. 2018 By the end of this class, attendees are ready to work their own colony the first year and be able to help experienced beekeepers with their hives. — chicagotribune.com, "Calendar: Learn about beekeeping Tuesday in Lake Forest," 4 Aug. 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.
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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
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