colonies

In a sentence

• Les colonies françaises en Afrique furent nombreuses.

  The French colonies in Africa were numerous.

  Here, 'colonies' refers to territories that were under French control or administration during the colonial era.

• Les colonies de fourmis sont fascinantes à observer.

  Ant colonies are fascinating to observe.

  In this sentence, 'colonies' is used to denote a group or collective living of ants, representing a biological or ecological term.

• Pendant les vacances d'été, les enfants partent souvent en colonies de vacances.

  During summer vacations, children often go to holiday camps.

  Here, 'colonies' refers to holiday camps, which are organized vacations for children, a common term in French educational and social context.