1. British colonial financier and statesman in South Africa; made a fortune in gold and diamond mining; helped colonize the territory now known as Zimbabwe; he endowed annual fellowships for British Commonwealth and United States students to study at Oxford University (1853-1902) • Syn: Cecil Rhodes, Cecil J. Rhodes, Cecil John Rhodes • Instance Hypernyms: financier, moneyman, colonizer, coloniser 2. a Greek island in the southeast Aegean Sea 10 miles off the Turkish coast; the largest of the Dodecanese; it was colonized before 1000 BC by Dorians from Argos; site of the Colossus of Rhodes • Syn: Rodhos • Instance Hypernyms: Aegean island • Part Holonyms: Dodecanese, Dhodhekanisos, Greece, Hellenic Republic, Ellas