co|lo|ni|a

co|lo|ni|a «kuh LOH nee uh for def. 1, koh LOH nee ah for def. 2», noun.

1. a Hispanic-American community of poor residents, lacking the services and regulation of local government, especially along the border of the United States and Mexico: »

In the colonias near El Paso, for example, an estimated 30,000 people have no safe drinking water, and 53,000 lack sewers (World Book Year Book).

2. (in Mexico) a city district or suburb.

╂[< Spanish colonia (literally) colony]