leper colony

noun

An isolated community used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.

Similar
leprosariumleprosarialeper villageleprosy village
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounleper colony (plural leper colonies)

plural leper colonies

  1. An isolated community used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.

    Synonyms: leprosarium, leprosaria, leper village, leprosy village

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn isolated community used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.

Similar
leprosariumleprosarialeper villageleprosy village

Origin

Popularized during the period of New Imperialism, when leprosy was largely absent in Europe but seen as a growing threat in its colonial empires.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans melaatse kolonie
  • melaatse kolonieisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Bulgarian лепрозо́рий
  • лепрозо́рий (leprozórij)isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Chinese Mandarin 麻風村 /麻风村
  • 麻風村 /麻风村 (máfēngcūn)isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Czech leprosárium
  • leprosáriumisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Dutch leprozerie, lazerij
  • leprozerieisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • lazerijisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • leprakolonieisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Estonian leprosoorium
  • leprosooriumisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Finnish spitaalisiirtola
  • spitaalisiirtolaisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
French léproserie
  • léproserieisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
German Leprakolonie, Leprosorium
  • Leprakolonieisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Leprosoriumisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • Leprastationisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Greek λεπροκομείο
  • λεπροκομείο (leprokomeío)isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Icelandic holdsveikraspítali
  • holdsveikraspítaliisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Italian lebbrosario, lebbrasorio
  • lebbrosarioisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • lebbrasorioisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Latin leprosarium, leprosaria
  • leprosariumisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • leprosariaisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Lithuanian leprozoriumas
  • leprozoriumasisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Norwegian Bokmål leprosarium
  • leprosariumisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Polish leprozorium
  • leprozoriumisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Portuguese leprosaria, leprosário
  • leprosariaisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
  • leprosárioisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Russian лепрозо́рий
  • лепрозо́рий (leprozórij)isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Spanish leprosería
  • leproseríaisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Swedish spetälskesjukhus
  • spetälskesjukhusisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Turkish miskinhane
  • miskinhaneisolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Ukrainian лепрозорій
  • лепрозорій (leprozorij)isolated community of lepers — see also leprosery
Cite this entry
APA

leper colony. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leper%20colony

MLA

“leper colony.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leper%20colony. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leper colony,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leper%20colony.

Source: leper colony on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.