noun
colony
KOL-uh-nee
noun
1
A territory controlled by another, usually distant, country.
"India was a British colony for nearly two centuries before gaining independence."
"The thirteen American colonies eventually broke away from Britain."
2
A group of the same kind of animal, insect, or organism living closely together.
"The scientists studied a large colony of penguins on the ice shelf."
"A colony of ants can contain millions of individuals working together."
How to Use Colony
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA settlement ruled by another country, or a group of the same creatures living together.
Common pairings
penguin colony
ant colony
former colony
Word Forms
colonied past tense, colonies plural, colonies singular
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India was a British _____ for nearly two centuries before gaining independence.
Etymology
From Latin colonia ("settlement, farm"), from colonus ("farmer, settler"), from colere, "to till or cultivate."