Dictionary Definition
denizen
Noun
2 a plant or animal naturalized in a region;
"denizens of field and forest"; "denizens of the deep"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
From Middle English denisein, from Anglo-Norman denzein, from deinz (meaning "within"), from deintus (meaning "from within"). Confer dedans.Noun
- An inhabitant of
a place; one who dwells
in.
- The giant squid is one of many denizens of the deep.
- One who frequents a
place.
- The denizens of that pub are of the roughest sort.
- A citizen naturalized through letters
patent.
- Though born in Iceland, he became a denizen of Britain after leaving Oxford.
- Local flora and
fauna.
- The bald eagle is a denizen of the northern part of the state.
Translations
an inhabitant of a place; one who dwells
in
one who frequents a place
(UK) a citizen naturalized through letters
patent
local flora and fauna
Verb
- transitive UK To grant rights of
citizenship to; to
naturalize.
- He was denizened to Ireland after fleeing his home country.
Extensive Definition
A denizen is a resident with rights intermediate
between those of a citizen and those of a resident
alien; in particular:
- by denization, an obsolete process in English Common Law, dating from the 13th century, by which a foreigner gained some privileges of a British subject, including the right to hold English land, through letters patent
- a "free Negro" in the United States before the abolition of slavery
Denizen may also refer to:
- Denizen (video game), action computer game published by Players Software in 1988 for the ZX Spectrum
See also
- naturalization, process of acquiring citizenship
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
addressee,
artist-in-residence, citizen, colonize, dweller, empeople, frequenter, habitant, haunter, house detective,
incumbent, inhabit, inhabitant, inhabiter, inmate, inpatient, intern, live-in maid, liver, locum tenens, national, occupant, occupier, people, plant, populate, residencer, resident, resident physician,
residentiary,
resider, settle, settle in, sojourner, subject, tenant