ˈkäləˌnīz verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Usage: see -ize
Etymology: colony + -ize
transitive verb
1.
a. : to establish a colony in or on : send out colonists to
it may happen … that Venus may be colonized by the earth as America was once colonized by Europe — Waldemar Kaempffert
b. : to migrate to and settle in
the French who colonized Canada
2. : to send illegal or irregularly qualified voters into
the machine was colonizing doubtful districts
3. : to migrate to : come to live in as a new species
forms which have been able to colonize cold regions — S.A.Cain
4. : to infiltrate with usually subversive militants for propaganda and strategy reasons
the left-wingers colonized key industries with trusted party members
5. : to isolate (as the feeble-minded) in supervised groups
the chronic alcoholics, the psychopaths … some of these should be hospitalized and some colonized — L.N.Robinson
intransitive verb
1. : to make or establish a colony : settle
colonize in Africa
2. 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