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Webster 1913 Edition

Denizen

Den′i-zen

(dĕn′ĭ-z’n)
,
Noun.
[OF.
denzein
,
deinzein
, prop., one living (a city or country); opposed to
forain
foreign, and fr.
denz
within, F.
dans
, fr. L.
de intus
, prop., from within,
intus
being from
in
in. See
In
, and cf.
Foreign
.]
1.
A dweller; an inhabitant.
“Denizens of air.”
Pope.
Denizens
of their own free, independent state.
Sir W. Scott.
2.
One who is admitted by favor to all or a part of the rights of citizenship, where he did not possess them by birth; an adopted or naturalized citizen.
3.
One admitted to residence in a foreign country.
Ye gods,
Natives, or
denizens
, of blest abodes.
Dryden.

Den′i-zen

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To constitute (one) a denizen; to admit to residence, with certain rights and privileges.
As soon as
denizened
, they domineer.
Dryden.
2.
To provide with denizens; to populate with adopted or naturalized occupants.
There [islets] were at once
denizened
by various weeds.
J. D. Hooker.

Webster 1828 Edition

Denizen

DENIZEN

,
Noun.
1.
In England, an alien who is made a subject by the kings letters patent, holding a middle state between an alien and a natural born subject. He may take land by purchase or devise, which an alien cannot; but he cannot take by inheritance.
2.
A stranger admitted to residence and certain rights in a foreign country.
Ye gods,
Natives, or denizens, of blest abodes.
3.
A citizen.

DENIZEN

,
Verb.
T.
To make a denizen; to admit to residence with certain rights and privileges; to infranchise.

Definition 2024

denizen

denizen

English

Noun

denizen ‎(plural denizens)

  1. An inhabitant of a place; one who dwells in.
    The giant squid is one of many denizens of the deep.
    • 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 6
      The cries of the gorilla proclaimed that it was in mortal combat with some other denizen of the fierce wood. Suddenly these cries ceased, and the silence of death reigned throughout the jungle.
    • Sir Walter Scott
      Denizens of their own free, independent state.
  2. One who frequents a place.
    The denizens of that pub are of the roughest sort.
    • 2015 February 20, Russell Brand, “Let’s kick cold profiteering out of football, along with racism”, in The Guardian (London):
      As a fan of West Ham United I’m always looking to legitimise my dislike of Chelsea FC. And on first viewing, this week’s jarring retro-Métro-racism seems like a good reason to condemn the denizens of Stamford Bridge.
  3. (Britain, obsolete) A person with rights between those of naturalized citizen and resident alien (roughly permanent resident), obtained through letters patent.
    Though born in Iceland, he became a denizen of Britain after leaving Oxford.
  4. (biology) An animal or plant from a particular range or habitat.
    The bald eagle is a denizen of the northern part of the state.

Usage notes

As a British legal category, used between 13th and 19th century (mentioned but not used in 20th century), made obsolete by naturalisation – see denization.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

denizen ‎(third-person singular simple present denizens, present participle denizening, simple past and past participle denizened)

  1. (transitive, Britain) To grant rights of citizenship to; to naturalize.
    He was denizened to Ireland after fleeing his home country.
    • Dryden
      As soon as denizened, they domineer.
  2. (transitive) To provide with denizens; to populate with adopted or naturalized occupants.
    • J. D. Hooker
      There were a few islets in the sand […] and these were at once denizened by various weeds.

Etymology

From Middle English denisein, from Anglo-Norman denzein, from deinz ‎(“within”), from Late Latin deintus ‎(“from within”) (French dedans).

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈdɛn.ɪ.zən/

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