denizen

UK /ˈdɛn.ɪ.zən/ US /ˈdɛn.ɪ.zən/
noun 5verb 2

Definitions

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.

[…] adversity bends the heart as fire bends the stubborn steel, and those who are no longer their own governors, and the denizens of their own free independent state, must crouch before strangers.

2

One who frequents a place.

The denizens of that pub are of the roughest sort.

He was well known to the sallow denizens of the lane; for such of them as were on the look-out to buy or sell, nodded, familiarly, as he passed along.

3

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.

4

An animal or plant from a particular range or habitat.

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

5

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

verb

1

To grant rights of citizenship to; to naturalize.

He was denizened to Ireland after fleeing his home country.

[The Horse-Chessnut] was first brought from Constantinople to Vienna, thence into Italy, and so France; but to Ʋs from the Levant more immediately, and flourishes so well, and grows so goodly a Tree in compe[te]nt time, that by this alone, we might have ample encouragement to Denizen other strangers amongst us.

2

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 […] .

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