colony

noun

col·​o·​ny ˈkä-lə-nē How to pronounce colony (audio)
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 coloniesLinda 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
b
: the aggregation of zooids of a compound animal (such as a coral or bryozoan)
A new coral colony is begun when a planula settles down on a reef, attaches itself there, and forms the first polyp, from which others bud.Joseph E. Neigel and John C. Avise
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

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 The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was still a colony, albeit one with a fancy name. Christina D. Ponsa-Kraus / Made By History, TIME, 11 Oct. 2024 The dusky-colored seabird had been collected on Lord Howe Island in New South Wales, Australia, where breeding colonies of the species raise young. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024 Roberts was one of only a few thousand African Americans who left the U.S. to help build a new colony in West Africa in Liberia. Karri Peifer, Axios, 9 Oct. 2024 Research suggests that their main source of food is colonies of bacteria including cyanobacteria and other microbes that live on rock surfaces, often alongside more visible clumps of seaweed. Benji Jones, Vox, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for colony 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English colonie, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin colonia, from colonus farmer, colonist, from colere to cultivate — more at wheel

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colony was circa 1550

Dictionary Entries Near colony

Cite this Entry

“Colony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colony. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

colony

noun
col·​o·​ny ˈkäl-ə-nē How to pronounce colony (audio)
plural colonies
1
a
: a distant territory under the control of a foreign nation
b
: a group of people who settle in that territory and retain ties with their original homeland
2
: a group of people who settle in a new place
3
a
: a population of plants or animals in a particular place that belong to one species
b
: a mass of microbes usually growing in or on a solid food source (as agar)
4
: a group of people with common qualities or interests living in close association
an artist colony

Medical Definition

colony

noun
col·​o·​ny ˈkäl-ə-nē How to pronounce colony (audio)
plural colonies
: a circumscribed mass of microorganisms usually growing in or on a solid medium

More from Merriam-Webster on colony

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