colonize

play

verb col·o·nize \ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz\

Definition of colonize

colonized

;

colonizing

transitive verb
1a : to establish a colony in or on or of colonize an islandb : to establish in a colony the rights of colonized people
2 : to send illegal or irregularly qualified voters into colonizing doubtful districts
3 : to infiltrate with usually subversive militants for propaganda and strategy reasons colonize industries
intransitive verb
: to make or establish a colony : settle

colonizer

noun

See colonize defined for English-language learners

See colonize defined for kids

Examples of colonize in a Sentence

The area was colonized in the 18th century.
Weeds quickly colonized the field.
The island had been colonized by plants and animals.

Recent Examples of colonize from the Web

This adaptability has allowed coyotes to successfully colonize cities and subdivisions.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Coyote project offers insight into lives of adaptable, valuable species", 5 July 2017
The particular strains of Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus that are typically found in many yogurts and pills may not be the same kind that can survive the highly acidic environment of the human stomach and from there colonize the gut.

— ferris jabr, Scientific American, "Do Probiotics Really Work?", 26 June 2017
In other words, the enlarged range would further colonize this area of the park for golf.

— blair kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Lack of coordination on Obama center, Tiger Woods golf course threatens Jackson Park redesign", 23 June 2017
More than any other Hollywood lawyer, Singer, seeing celebrity coverage metastasize from checkout lines to television to Twitter, has colonized territory other lawyers have shunned, and turned garbage into gold.

— david margolick, HWD, "Hollywood Lawyer Marty Singer Can Make Any Problem Go Away—Except Bill Cosby’s", 19 June 2017
As anti-colonial movements erupted in the 1960s, colonized people across the globe recognized a unity of purpose between their struggles for self-determination and the struggle of black Americans.

— chris hayes, The Hive, "How America Became a Colonial Leader in Its Own Cities", 19 June 2017
JO: The areas further downstream (away from D.C.), in newer colonized areas (with suitable habitat), generally will have higher numbers –

— kevin ambrose, Washington Post, "Apparently, the once-feared snakehead is just another fish in the Potomac", 16 June 2017
Some chose to colonize under water, and another group decided to live in the clouds, so naturally their project hung from the ceiling from fishing line.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Pomerado News, "High school teachers close book on careers", 14 June 2017
But Paisley’s supporters came from dissenter stock: Presbyterians, Methodists and evangelical Protestants whose British ancestors colonized Catholic Ireland during the 17th-century wars of religion.

— ed o’loughlin, The Seattle Times, "U.K. election: How a forgotten Northern Ireland party became ‘kingmaker’", 10 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'colonize'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of colonize

1622

COLONIZE Defined for English Language Learners

colonize

play

verb

Definition of colonize for English Language Learners

: to create a colony in or on (a place) : to take control of (an area) and send people to live there
: to move into and live in (a place) as a new type of plant or animal

COLONIZE Defined for Kids

colonize

play

verb col·o·nize \ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz\

Definition of colonize for Students

colonized

;

colonizing

1 : to establish a colony in or on
2 : to settle in a colony

Medical Dictionary

colonize

play

verb col·o·nize \ˈkäl-ə-ˌnīz\

Medical Definition of colonize

colonized

;

colonizing

1
transitive verb

: to establish a colony in or on the parasitic roundworms…have succeeded in colonizing a great variety of hosts—W. H. Dowdeswell

2: to isolate in supervised groups
intransitive verb

of microorganisms : to become established in a habitat (as a host or a wound) these bacteria in turn colonize in other parts of the body—R. A. Runnells