denizen Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a person who inhabits a particular place
    inhabitant; indweller; habitant; dweller.
  2. noun a plant or animal naturalized in a region
    • denizens of field and forest
    • denizens of the deep

WordNet

Den"i*zen noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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 transitive verb
Definitions
  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 1913