colony
colony — noun
1. A territory under the control of a distant, more powerful nation — the ruling po
A territory under the control of a distant, more powerful nation — the ruling power manages its trade, laws, and political life, often for its own economic benefit.
Portugal governed the colony of Brazil for more than three hundred years.
colony + of + country name — possessive structure
The official arrived from London to manage the colony's trade and taxes.
possessive: colony's + noun
Local leaders in the colony demanded the same rights as citizens of the ruling country.
After years of protest, the colony finally won its independence from Spain.
Many African nations were once colonies of European powers during the nineteenth century.
- territory
broader term — a territory may or may not be politically controlled by a foreign power (e.g. an overseas territory with partial self-rule)
- protectorate
a territory that keeps its own local rulers but is protected and controlled by a more powerful country in foreign affairs
- dominion
historical term for a self-governing territory within the British Empire, more autonomous than a colony
- independent nation
a country that governs itself and is not controlled by any outside power
文法句型
colony + of + country
用法筆記
Commonly paired with a possessive or 'of' phrase naming the ruling country. Frequently appears in historical and political contexts discussing imperialism and decolonisation.
常見錯誤
2. People from one country who move overseas permanently and build a community whil
People from one country who move overseas permanently and build a community while preserving political and cultural links with their country of origin.
A small colony of Dutch farmers settled in the fertile valley near Cape Town.
colony of + [occupation/nationality] + settled in [place]
The Swedish colony in Delaware traded furs and timber with the local tribes.
Families from Scotland formed a colony in the highlands of New Zealand during the 1850s.
Each ship brought more people to join the English colony on the island's eastern shore.
- settlement
focuses on the physical place where settlers live, rather than the community of people
- diaspora community
a group of people living far from their original homeland, but diaspora usually implies dispersal rather than a single settlement
文法句型
colony + of + national/ethnic group
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (POLITICAL TERRITORY): this sense focuses on the PEOPLE who settle, not on the TERRITORY they occupy. The colony-as-people may exist even after the territory gains independence.
常見錯誤
3. A community of people who share the same occupation, hobby, or background and li
A community of people who share the same occupation, hobby, or background and live close together, often in a relatively isolated setting away from the general population.
The old hotel became a summer colony for painters and sculptors from the city.
summer colony — seasonal community for a shared interest
A colony of retired doctors lived together in the seaside village near the cliffs.
The university supported a research colony where scientists studied the local forest.
An artists' colony grew up in the countryside near Paris during the early 1900s.
The fishing colony sat on a narrow strip between the sea and the mountains.
文法句型
[occupation/adjective] + colony
用法筆記
Often used in compound nouns where the first word names the shared attribute (e.g. artists' colony, leper colony, mining colony). The shared element can be a profession, health condition, or cultural identity.
常見錯誤
4. A group of creatures or plants that belong to one species and live together in o
A group of creatures or plants that belong to one species and live together in one place, often with a social structure or a shared nest.
A large colony of ants marched across the kitchen floor toward the sugar bowl.
colony of + [insect] — typical pattern for insects
The coral colony stretched for miles beneath the clear blue water near the reef.
Biologists counted over ten thousand penguins in the colony on the rocky beach.
The bee colony filled the hollow tree with honey and wax during the summer.
A colony of seabirds nested on the steep cliffs above the crashing waves.
文法句型
colony + of + species
用法筆記
Often functions as a collective noun: 'the colony is' (singular verb) for the group as a unit, or 'the colony are' (plural verb) for the individual members. In biology, 'colony' can also refer to bacteria or cells grown in a lab dish.
常見錯誤
5. Several residential buildings constructed close together in a bounded area, typi
Several residential buildings constructed close together in a bounded area, typically built by a company or employer for its workforce to occupy near a mine, factory, or railway.
The railway company built a colony of wooden houses beside the tracks for its workers.
built a colony of houses — colony as a physical housing development
Each family in the workers' colony had a small garden and two rooms.
workers' colony — compound noun for employer-built housing
The colony had its own clinic, market, and school for the miners' families.
Rows of identical brick houses made up the new colony outside the city walls.
A high fence surrounded the tea plantation colony where the workers lived.
- housing estate
a planned residential area, more common in British English; does not imply an employer-built setting
- company town
a town where all or most buildings and services are owned by a single employer
文法句型
workers' colony
mining colony
用法筆記
This sense is most common in South Asian and Southeast Asian English (e.g. a 'housing colony' in India refers to a residential neighbourhood). In other varieties, 'housing estate' or 'housing complex' is more common for modern developments.