1. 殖民地
    A colony is a country which is controlled by a more powerful country.

colony是什么意思

    e.g. In France's former North African colonies, anti-French feeling is growing...
           在北非的一些前法属殖民地国家，反法情绪日益增长。
    e.g. Puerto Rico, though it calls itself a Commonwealth, is really a self-governing American colony.
           波多黎各尽管自称共和国，但实际上是有自治权的美国殖民地。

2. (某一类人的)聚居地，聚居区
    You can refer to a place where a particular group of people lives as a particular kind of colony .

    e.g. In 1932, he established a school and artists' colony in Stone City, Iowa.
           1932年，他在艾奥瓦州的石头城创建了一所学校，那儿成了艺术家的聚居地。
    e.g. ...a penal colony.
           罪犯流放地

3. (统称)英属殖民地
    The colonies means all the countries that used to be British colonies.

    e.g. Many of our troops and officers were scattered around the world in the service of His Majesty in the colonies.
           我们的很多部队和军官分驻世界各地的英属殖民地，为英王效力。

4. (美国独立前的)北美十三州
    The colonies means the 13 British colonies in North America which formed the original United States.

colony

    e.g. On the eve of the Revolution, the colonies produced thirty thousand tons of crude iron a year.
           独立战争前夕，北美十三州每年生产3万吨生铁。

5. (鸟、昆虫或动物的)群体，集群，群落
    A colony of birds, insects, or animals is a group of them that live together.

    e.g. The Shetlands are famed for their colonies of sea birds...
           设得兰群岛以其众多的海鸟而闻名。
    e.g. The caterpillars feed in large colonies.
           毛毛虫总是成群进食。