I. ˈland, -aa(ə)nd; when a consonant follows without pause the d is sometimes lost, as in -nz for “lands” and -nˌslīd for “landslide” noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English land, lond, from Old English land, lond; akin to Old High German lant land, Old Norse & Gothic land, Old Irish land open space, area, Old Prussian lindan (accusative) valley, Old Russian lyadina weed, underbrush
1. : the solid part of the surface of the earth in contrast to the water of oceans and seas
sailing out of sight of land
a narrow isthmus connecting two great land masses
land animals
land birds
travel by land
or to the air
air bombing prepared for the advance of land forces
attacked by land , sea, and air
2.
a. : a portion (as a country, estate, farm, or tract) of the earth's solid surface considered by itself or as belonging to an individual or a people
out of the land of Egypt
people of faraway lands
b. : the people of a country
the land rose in rebellion
c. : realm , domain
no longer in the land of the living
a land of dreams
d. : the country as distinguished from the town ; especially : farming country
the independent farmer and his family are leaving the land — Eric Sevareid
the only one of his family to take to the land
3.
a. : ground or soil in respect to its situation, nature, or quality
wet land
good land
mountain land
stubble land
b. obsolete : floor , ground
c. : the natural environment and its attributes within which production takes place : the surface of the earth and all its natural resources
4.
a. : ground owned privately or publicly : landed property
a house with ten acres of land
to divide lands among heirs
b. law : any ground, soil, or earth whatsoever regarded as the subject of ownership (as meadows, pastures, woods) and everything annexed to it whether by nature (as trees, water) or by man (as buildings, fences) extending indefinitely vertically upwards and downwards
c. : an interest or estate in land ; broadly : tenement , hereditament — compare real estate
d. Scotland : a building having a common entry but several flats or tenements each containing one household
5.
a. : ground left unplowed between furrows
b. : any of several portions into which a field is divided for convenience in plowing
c. : the unplowed portion of a field being plowed
d. : a strip of land marked off by furrows ; also : the length of such a strip used as a measure of surface or length
e. Africa : the portions of a farm suitable for cultivation : field , patch
mealie land
6. : an area of a surface partly machined (as with holes, indentations, furrows, or grooves) that is left without such machining: as
a. : the level part of a millstone between two furrows
b. : the surface of the bore of a rifle between consecutive grooves
c. : the metal between the flutes of a twist drill
d. : the uncut surface between two adjacent grooves of a phonograph record
7. : the lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat or of plates in a steel ship — called also landing
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to set or put on shore from a ship or other watercraft after a voyage or water trip : disembark , debark
I'll undertake to land them on our coast — Shakespeare
2.
a. : to set down after conveying
the cab landed him at the station
b. : to cause to reach or come to rest in a particular place, position, or condition
his recklessness landed him in trouble
unable to land a solid punch in the early rounds
landed the quoit near the stake
c. : to bring (an airplane) to a landing
3.
a. : to catch and bring to shore or into a boat
land a fish
b. : to win, gain, capture, or secure usually as the result of artful effort or competition
land a job
salesman landed the order
a treaty landed after long parleys
land a racing prize
land a husband
c. Britain : to put in difficulties : embarrass
committee found itself landed with a witness whose tactics baffled and embarrassed it — New Statesman & Nation
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to go ashore from a ship or boat : disembark
b. of a ship or boat : to touch at a place on shore : come to shore
2.
a. : to come to the end of a course or to a stage in a journey : come to rest : arrive
late that night we landed at a motel
— often used with up
more likely land up in the desert — Greville Texidor
b. : to strike or meet the ground (as after a fall, leap, flight)
landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs
the ball must land inside the lines of the service court
fell off the porch and landed on his head
c. of an airplane : to alight on the ground, the water, or other surface
•
- land on
III. interjection
or lands -dz
Etymology: euphemism from Lord, Lord's
— used to express surprise or wonder
land sakes, why did you do that
land knows where he went
IV. ˈlänt noun
( plural län·der or laen·der ˈlendə(r))
Etymology: German, land, country, province, from Old High German lant land — more at land I
: a unit of local government in Germany corresponding to a state