colony

Etymology

From Latin colōnia (“colony”), from colōnus (“farmer; colonist”), from colō (“till, cultivate, worship”), from earlier *quelō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒl.əni/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑləniː/

• Audio (US)

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Noun

colony (plural colonies)

1. Governmental unit created on land of another country owned by colonists from a country
2. A settlement of emigrants who move to a new place, but remain culturally tied to their original place of origin
3. Region or governmental unit created by another country and generally ruled by another country.

   Bermuda is a crown colony of Great Britain.

4. (India) An apartment complex.

   Our colony is quite small, but each apartment is large.

5. A group of people with the same interests or ethnic origin concentrated in a particular geographic area

   The Amana Colonies in Iowa were settled by people from Germany.

6. A group of organisms of same or different species living together in close association.

   ant colony

   a colony of specialized polyps and medusoids

7. A collective noun for rabbits.