Colonies
Britishplural noun
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the subject territories formerly in the British Empire
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history the 13 states forming the original United States of America when they declared their independence (1776). These were Connecticut, North and South Carolina, Delaware, Georgia, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and New Jersey
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The man who immortalized the man who made a midnight ride to Lexington left the Colonies in 1774, moved to London, and never returned.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The Twelve Colonies fall because the machines hacked all their systems.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
The four were indicted in 2011 on multiple charges stemming from a land dispute between the county and Colonies Partners.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025
Colonies consist of hundreds of individuals linked in chains that can be up to several meters long.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2024
He saw a white bear and one of the great jungle cats from the Southern Colonies crouching in the eaves, its teeth bared.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
