Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The early English settlement in North America: "Plymouth Colony" refers specifically to the colony established by English Separatists, known as the Pilgrims, in present-day Massachusetts in 1620. It was a distinct political entity until its merger into the larger Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.

Usage

• The term "Plymouth Colony" is used historically to refer to this specific settlement and its government during its period of independence (1620-1691).
  • The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony.
  • Life in the early years of the Plymouth Colony was extremely difficult.

Advanced Usage

• "the Colony of New Plymouth": This is a formal, historical variant name for the Plymouth Colony.
  • Official records refer to the settlement as the Colony of New Plymouth.

Variants and Related Words

• Pilgrims (n): The English Separatists who founded Plymouth Colony.
  • The Pilgrims sought religious freedom.
• Mayflower Compact (n): The 1620 agreement that established a form of self-government for the Plymouth Colony.
• Massachusetts Bay Colony (n): The larger, neighboring colony that eventually absorbed Plymouth Colony in 1691.

Synonyms

• New Plymouth: A less common synonym referring to the same settlement.
• Pilgrim Colony: An informal term emphasizing its founders.

Related Phrases

• "at Plymouth Rock": This phrase often accompanies discussions of the colony's founding location.
  • The Pilgrims are said to have landed at Plymouth Rock.

Noun

1. colony formed by the Pilgrims when they arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620; it was absorbed into the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691