Settlement: the last to pay (6)

I believe the answer is:

colony

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'settlement' is the definition.
(I know that settlement can be written as colony)

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for colony that I've seen before include "Hive" , "Settler's territory" , "Community" , "Country controlled by another's settlers" , "Beavers' group" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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