colonies
colonies — noun
- coloniessingular
- coloniesesplural
1. A territory or nation that is ruled by a foreign power that is usually far away.
A territory or nation that is ruled by a foreign power that is usually far away. The ruling country controls the colony's government, trade, and resources.
India was a British colony until it gained independence in 1947.
countable noun: a British colony
European powers competed to establish colonies across Africa and Asia during the 1800s.
establish + colonies (verb-object collocation)
The small island was once a Dutch colony, and its architecture still shows that influence.
Many former colonies kept the language of their colonisers for use in schools and courts.
- dependency
a territory that relies on a ruling country, more formal and legal in tone
- possession
emphasises ownership by the ruling power; slightly broader than colony
- protectorate
a territory that is protected by a stronger country but not fully controlled, a weaker form of colonial rule
- independent nation
a country that governs itself without foreign control
用法筆記
Also used in historical contexts to describe the territories of the British, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and other European empires. The plural form colonies often refers to a set of territories under one empire (e.g. 'the American colonies').
常見錯誤
✅ 'Taiwan was a colony of Japan.' — correct. This usage is appropriate for historical contexts.
2. People who leave their home country and travel to settle in a new territory, whi
People who leave their home country and travel to settle in a new territory, while keeping their ties to their original homeland.
A colony of English settlers was established at Plymouth in 1620.
colony of settlers (people-focused usage — group of people, not territory)
The Mayflower pilgrims formed a colony and faced a harsh winter with little food.
colony of + group of people
These early colonies in Australia were mostly made up of prisoners sent from Britain.
The Spanish established a colony of settlers in Florida in the 1500s.
用法筆記
This sense focuses on the people themselves rather than the land they occupy. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to the territory under control.
3. A community of people who share the same profession, interest, or background and
A community of people who share the same profession, interest, or background and choose to live or work together in one place, often apart from the general population.
The town has a well-known artists' colony where painters and sculptors live and work together.
artists' colony (common compound noun)
During the 1960s, several communes and hippie colonies were set up in rural California.
Mira spent a summer at a writers' colony in Vermont to finish her novel.
The retirement colony in Arizona is home to older people who enjoy the warm climate.
用法筆記
Commonly used in compound nouns such as artists' colony, writers' colony, and nudist colony. These describe voluntary communities, unlike sense 2 which involves settlement under political authority.
4. Many creatures of one species — such as ants, bees, penguins, or corals — that l
Many creatures of one species — such as ants, bees, penguins, or corals — that live or grow together in a single place.
Cyrus watched a colony of ants carrying food across the garden path.
colony of ants / colony of termites (animal group)
The coral colony on the reef has been growing for over two hundred years.
A large colony of penguins gathered near the shore to keep warm during the storm.
Scientists discovered a colony of rare bats living in the old mine tunnel.
The beehive contains a colony of bees with one queen and thousands of workers.
用法筆記
In biology, colony describes a structured social group where members often have specific roles, especially among social insects (ants, bees, termites). For non-social animals, it simply means a large group in one location.
5. A residential area, usually enclosed by walls or fences, that contains housing b
A residential area, usually enclosed by walls or fences, that contains housing built by a company, organisation, or government for its workers to live in.
The mining company built a colony of small houses near the mine for its workers.
built a colony (verb-object pattern with physical housing)
Families in the factory colony shared a single water pump and a small general store.
The prison guards lived in a colony just outside the main gate of the facility.
Saira's grandparents grew up in a railway colony where every house looked the same.
- housing estate
a planned residential area, more neutral without the employer-specific connotation
- company town
a town where most buildings and services are owned by one employer, broader in scope
用法筆記
This sense is especially common in Indian and South Asian English, where railway colonies and government employee colonies are widespread. In other varieties, housing estate or company town may be preferred.
6. A visible clump of microbes, such as bacteria or fungi, that forms when one orig
A visible clump of microbes, such as bacteria or fungi, that forms when one original cell multiplies on a nutrient surface in a lab.
Each white dot on the agar plate is a separate bacterial colony grown overnight.
bacterial colony / fungal colony (domain-specific collocation)
The lab technician counted the number of colonies on each petri dish to measure contamination.
Hiro took a single colony of E. coli and moved it to fresh culture medium.
Different types of bacteria produce colonies of distinct colours, shapes, and sizes.
- culture
the general term for growing microorganisms; a colony is a specific cluster within a culture
用法筆記
Used mainly in microbiology and laboratory settings. A colony forms when one bacterium reproduces many times in the same spot, creating a visible clump that can be seen without a microscope.