1. a. an area that is controlled by or belongs to a country and is usually far away from it

• Massachusetts was one of the original 13 British colonies that later became the United States.
• a former French colony in Africa

b. a group of people sent by a country to live in such a colony

• a colony of settlers

2 . a group of plants or animals living or growing in one place

• an ant colony
• a colony of bacteria

3 . a group of people who are similar in some way and who live in a certain area

• an artist colony
• a leper colony

also : the land or buildings used by such a group