colony

col•o•ny

[[t]ˈkɒl ə ni[/t]] n. pl. -nies

1) gov a group of people who leave their native country to form in a new land a settlement subject to, or connected with, the parent nation

2) gov the country or district so settled

3) gov any people or territory separated from but subject to a ruling power

4) amh. the Colonies, those British colonies that formed the original 13 states of the United States

5) a group of individuals having the same national origin or similar interests, occupations, etc., living in a particular locality:

a colony of artists[/ex]

6) a group of people forced to live isolated from society, as because of disease or criminal behavior

7) the place or dwellings inhabited by such a group

8) mcr an aggregation of bacteria growing together as the descendants of a single cell

9) ecl a group of organisms of the same kind living or growing in close association

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Etymology: 1350–1400; ME colonie (< MF) < L colōnia < colōn(us) farmer < colere to inhabit, cultivate