plural colonies
1
: an area over which a foreign nation or state extends or maintains control
a former colony
"British America" in 1776 signified not only the thirteen colonies and [the historical region called] the Floridas, but also Canada, Nova Scotia, and Britain's Caribbean colonies …—Linda Colley
also
: a group of people who establish residence in that area and who retain ties with the parent state
members of Plymouth colony
2
: a group of people who settle together in a new place
… building an ecosystem from scratch on Mars that can provide food, water and oxygen to support a colony is no small task.—Eric Mack
also
: the land or buildings used by such a group
… suggested … the possibility that crops grown inside the [theoretical Mars] colony would produce suffocating levels of oxygen. —Scott Dance
3
: a distinguishable localized population of a species or type of organism
a colony of termites/ants
The birds [black skimmers] generally nest in colonies along beaches, with the largest colony in Florida residing on Marco Island.—Karl Schneider
4
a
: a circumscribed mass of microorganisms usually growing in or on a solid medium
colonies of bacteria
5
: a group of individuals or things with common characteristics or interests living in close association
an artist colony
a nudist colony
also
: the land or buildings used by such a group
6
: a group of persons institutionalized away from others
a leper colony
a penal colony
also
: the land or buildings used by such a group
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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