Definition of "denizen" in 英语

noun

1. An inhabitant of a place; one who dwells in a certain place.

   • The giant squid is one of many denizens of the deep.

2. One who frequents a place.

   • The denizens of that pub are of the roughest sort.

3. (British, historical) A person with rights between those of naturalized citizen and resident alien (roughly permanent resident), obtained through letters patent.

   • 1548, Edward Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, London, The xiiii yere, Then by commaundement wer all Fre[n]chemen and Scottes imprisoned and the goodes seazed, and all suche as were denizens were commaunded to shewe their letters patentes […]
   • A denizen is a kind of middle state, between an alien and a natural-born subject, and partakes of both.
   • 1803, John Browne Cutting, “A Succinct History of Jamaica” in Robert Charles Dallas, The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, p. xlv, All free persons were authorized and permitted to transport themselves, their families, and goods […] to Jamaica, from any part of the British dominions; and their children born in Jamaica were declared free denizens of England, entitled to the same privileges as free born subjects of England.
   • Though born in Iceland, he became a denizen of Britain after leaving Oxford.

4. (biology) An animal or plant from a particular range or habitat.

   • The bald eagle is a denizen of the northern part of the state.

5. (linguistics) A foreign word that has become naturalised in another language in terms of use, but not in terms of form.

verb

1. (transitive, British, historical) To grant rights of citizenship to; to naturalize.

   • He was denizened to Ireland after fleeing his home country.
   • And, soon as Denizen’d, they domineer.

2. (transitive) To provide with denizens; to populate with adopted or naturalized occupants.

   • 1849, Joseph Dalton Hooker, “Extracts from the Private Letters of Dr. J. D. Hooker, written during a Botanical Mission to India” in William Jackson Hooker (editor), Hooker’s Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany, London: Reeve, Benham and Reeve, Volume 1, p. 85, There were a few islets in the sand […] . These were at once denizened by the Calotropis, Argemone, Tamarix, Gnaphalium luteoalbum and two other species […] .