/ lænd; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
SURFACE OF EARTH
1.
[ U ] the surface of the earth that is not sea :
It was good to be back on land .
We made the journey by land , though flying would have been cheaper.
In the distance the crew sighted land.
The elephant is the largest living land animal.
—see also dry land ➡ note at floor , soil
AREA OF GROUND
2.
[ U ] (also lands [ pl. ]) an area of ground, especially of a particular type or used for a particular purpose
SYN terrain :
fertile / arid / stony, etc. land
flat / undulating / hilly, etc. land
agricultural / arable / industrial, etc. land
The land was very dry and hard after the long, hot summer.
The land rose to the east.
a piece of waste / derelict land
Some of the country's richest grazing lands are in these valleys.
3.
[ U ] (also formal lands [ pl. ]) the area of ground that sb owns, especially when you think of it as property that can be bought or sold :
The price of land is rising rapidly.
During the war their lands were occupied by the enemy.
—see also no-man's-land
COUNTRYSIDE
4.
the land [ U ] used to refer to the countryside and the way people live in the country as opposed to in cities :
At the beginning of the 20th century almost a third of the population lived off the land (= grew or produced their own food) .
Many people leave the land to find work in towns and cities.
➡ note at country
COUNTRY / REGION
5.
[ C ] ( literary ) used to refer to a country or region in a way which appeals to the emotions or the imagination :
She longed to return to her native land .
They dreamed of travelling to foreign lands .
America is the land of freedom and opportunity.
—see also cloud cuckoo land , clubland , dockland , dreamland , fairyland , never-never land , the Promised Land , wonderland
HELP NOTE : There are many other compounds ending in land . You will find them at their place in the alphabet.
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IDIOMS
- in the land of the living
- the land of milk and honey
- in the land of Nod
- see, etc. how the land lies
—more at lie noun , live (I), spy verb
■ verb
OF BIRD / PLANE / INSECT
1.
[ v ] to come down through the air onto the ground or another surface :
The plane landed safely.
A fly landed on his nose.
OPP take off
OF PILOT
2.
[ vn ] to bring a plane down to the ground in a controlled way :
The pilot landed the plane safely.
ARRIVE IN PLANE / BOAT
3.
[ v ] to arrive somewhere in a plane or a boat :
We shall be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts.
The troops landed at dawn.
They were the first men to land on the moon.
The ferry is due to land at 3 o'clock.
4.
[ vn ] to put sb/sth on land from an aircraft, a boat, etc. :
The troops were landed by helicopter.
FALL TO GROUND
5.
[ v ] to come down to the ground after jumping, falling or being thrown :
I fell and landed heavily at the bottom of the stairs.
A large stone landed right beside him.
DIFFICULTIES
6.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to arrive somewhere and cause difficulties that have to be dealt with :
Why do complaints always land on my desk (= why do I always have to deal with them) ?
JOB
7.
( informal ) to succeed in getting a job, etc., especially one that a lot of other people want :
[ vn ]
He's just landed a starring role in Spielberg's next movie.
[ vnn ]
She's just landed herself a company directorship.
FISH
8.
[ vn ] to catch a fish and bring it out of the water on to the land
•
IDIOMS
- land a blow, punch, etc.
—more at foot noun
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PHRASAL VERBS
- land in sth | land sb / yourself in sth
- land up in, at ...
- land sb / yourself with sth/sb
••
SYNONYMS
land
lot ♦ ground ♦ space ♦ plot
These words all mean an area of land that is used for a particular purpose.
land
an area of ground, especially one that is used for a particular purpose:
agricultural land
lot
( NAmE ) a piece of land that is used or intended for a particular purpose:
building lots
•
a parking lot
ground
an area of land that is used for a particular purpose :
The kids were playing on waste ground near the school.
•
the site of an ancient burial ground
land, lot or ground?
Land is used for large areas of open land in the country, especially when it is used for farming. A lot is often a smaller piece of land in a town or city, especially one intended for building or parking on. Ground is any area of open land; a ground is an area of land designed or used for a particular purpose or activity.
space
a large area of land that has no buildings on it:
The city has plenty of open space.
•
the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies
plot
a small piece of land used or intended for a particular purpose:
She bought a small plot of land to build a house.
•
a vegetable plot
lot or plot?
Either a lot or a plot can be used for building on. Only a plot can also be used for growing vegetables or burying people.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
(an) open land / ground / space
(a / an) empty / vacant / unused / derelict land / lot / ground / plot
waste land / ground
a burial plot
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch land and German Land .