Words / B2

KOL-uh-nyz/ˈkɒlənaɪz/

To colonise is to take control of another country and send settlers there; in biology, to occupy a habitat (British -ise): colonise an island; bacteria colonise a surface. Colony and colonial are related (already in the dictionary). Map who colonised the island, then evaluate the source. Mix-up: colonel (previous); colon (punctuation). US: colonize. Do not treat colonise as a neutral compliment without the power relation.

Meaning

To take control of another country and send settlers there; in biology, to occupy a habitat (British spelling).

Examples

• “Map who colonised the island in the empire enquiry, then evaluate the source.”
• “Pioneer species colonise bare rock, which is the ecology sense.”

Good to know

colonise + place; colonised by. Nouns: colony / colonialism. US: colonize. Trap: colonel / colon. History, geography, and biology. Settle and control, or occupy a habitat — specify bias in human cases.

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