colonize

especially British, col·o·nise

[kol-uh-nahyz]

verb (used with object)

colonized, colonizing 

1. 1. (of a nation or government) to claim and forcibly take control of (a territory other than its own), usually sending some of its own people to settle there.

      England colonized Australia.

   2. to move from one’s own country and settle in (such a territory).

      Dutch farmers were among the first Europeans to colonize the river valleys of New Jersey and New York.

2. to be the first settlers in.

   Southern Pacific islanders are thought to have colonized Hawaii around a.d. 450.

3. to compel or induce (people) to settle in an area for economic or political purposes.

   The government made efforts to colonize laborers and their families in areas suitable for growing rice.

4. Biology.,  (of a species of plant or animal) to move or be transported to (a new habitat) and seek to become established there.

   Arthropods were the first animal species to colonize land around 450 million years ago.

5. Microbiology, Medicine/Medical.,  (of a microbe) to multiply on or in (another organism), especially without causing infection or disease.

   Researchers attempted to get the bacteria in a probiotic to successfully colonize the intestines of 23 volunteers.

verb (used without object)

colonized, colonizing 

1. to take control of or settle in territories other than one’s own.

   Many other European powers were colonizing during the modern period besides France.

   When the British colonized in Australia, the basic rights of Aboriginals were taken away.

colonize

/ ˈkɒləˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to send colonists to or establish a colony in (an area)

2. to settle in (an area) as colonists

3. (tr) to transform (a community) into a colony

4. (of plants and animals) to become established in (a new environment)

Other Word Forms

• colonizable adjective
• colonizability noun
• colonization noun
• colonizationist noun
• colonizer noun
• intercolonization noun
• intercolonize verb
• recolonization noun
• recolonize verb (used with object)
• uncolonize verb (used with object)
• well-colonized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of colonize¹

First recorded in 1615–25; colon(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

He was impressed by mosses' ability to colonize the harshest environments on Earth.

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"For decades, scientists have been trying to develop cereal crops that produce active root nodules, or trying to colonize cereals with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, without much success. We used a different approach," Blumwald said.

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Cyanobacteria commonly colonize Sargassum, forming a partnership that provides the algae with an extra nitrogen source.

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Tessa sees it as a mission, one of dozens that involve the company colonizing planets and stripping their resources, justifying that plunder as necessary to benefit mankind.

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Until now, researchers have been unable to assign an R0 value to bacteria that normally colonize the gut, since they often live in the body without triggering illness.

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Related Words

• conquer