land

[ land ]

/ lænd /

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noun

any part of the earth's surface not covered by a body of water; the part of the earth's surface occupied by continents and islands: Land was sighted from the crow's nest.

an area of ground with reference to its nature or composition: arable land.

an area of ground with specific boundaries: to buy land on which to build a house.

rural or farming areas, as contrasted with urban areas: They left the land for the city.

Law.

any part of the earth's surface that can be owned as property, and everything annexed to it, whether by nature or by the human hand.
any legal interest held in land.

Economics. natural resources as a factor of production.

a part of the surface of the earth marked off by natural or political boundaries or the like; a region or country: They came from many lands.

the people of a region or country

Audio. the flat surface between the grooves of a phonograph record.

a realm or domain: the land of the living.

a surface between furrows, as on a millstone or on the interior of a rifle barrel.

Scot. a tenement house.

verb (used with object)

to bring to or set on land: to land passengers or goods from a ship; to land an airplane.

to bring into or cause to arrive in a particular place, position, or condition: His behavior will land him in jail.

Informal. to catch or capture; gain; win: to land a job.

Angling. to bring (a fish) to land, or into a boat, etc., as with a hook or a net.

verb (used without object)

to come to land or shore: The boat lands at Cherbourg.

to go or come ashore from a ship or boat.

to alight upon a surface, as the ground, a body of water, or the like: to land on both feet.

to hit or strike the ground, as from a height: The ball landed at the far side of the court.

to strike and come to rest on a surface or in something: The golf ball landed in the lake.

to come to rest or arrive in a particular place, position, or condition (sometimes followed by up): to land in trouble; to land up 40 miles from home.

Verb Phrases

land on, Informal. to reprimand; criticize: His mother landed on him for coming home so late.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about land

land / fall on one's feet, feet (def. 3).

see how the land lies, to investigate in advance; inform oneself of the facts of a situation before acting: You should see how the land lies before making a formal proposal.Compare lay of the land.

Origin of land

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, German, Old Norse, Gothic land; akin to Irish lann “open space,” Welsh llan “church” (originally “enclosure”), Breton lann “heath.” See lawn¹

OTHER WORDS FROM land

landlike, adjectivere·land, verbun·der·land, noun

Other definitions for land (2 of 3)

Land

[ land ]

/ lænd /

noun

Edwin Herbert, 1909–91, U.S. inventor and businessman: created the Polaroid camera.

Other definitions for land (3 of 3)

-land

a combining form of land: hinterland; lowland.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WORDS THAT USE -LAND

What does -land mean?

The combining form –land is used like a suffix meaning “land.” It is occasionally used in everyday and technical terms.

The form –land comes from Old English.

Examples of -land

An example of a word you may have encountered that features –land is borderland, “land forming a border or frontier.”

The border– portion of the word means, literally, “border,” from Middle English bordure. As we have seen, the suffix –land means “land.” Borderland literally means “land on the border.”

What are some words that use the combining form –land?

hinterland
lowland
motherland
mainland (using the equivalent form of –land in Middle English)
fatherland

What are some other forms that –land may be commonly confused with?

Not every word that ends with the exact letters –land, such as bland, is necessarily using the combining form –land to denote “land.” Learn why bland means “dull” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

Given the meaning of the combining form –land, what does lowland mean?

How to use land in a sentence

For every nanosecond that I miraculously lift off the ground, I land with an inordinately loud thud.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was supposed to land in Singapore at 8:57 a.m. local time.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Federal Duck Stamp Act raised the fee on stamps needed to hunt waterfowl on federal land from $15 to $25.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this American dream, we are emotionally tied to the people and land of our communities.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Chickens require significantly less land, water, and energy than all other meat options except farmed salmon.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then with your victorious legions you can march south and help drive the Yankee invaders from the land.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
It is a lofty and richly-decorated pile of the fourteenth century; and tells of the labours and the wealth of a foreign land.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
Worst danger zone, the open sea, now traversed, but on land not yet out of the wood.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
It was more like the boarding of a ship than any land fight I had ever seen or imagined.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
We see the whole land, even if but at a distance, instead of being limited merely to the spot where our foot treads.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

British Dictionary definitions for land (1 of 3)

land

/ (lænd) /

noun

the solid part of the surface of the earth as distinct from seas, lakes, etcRelated adjective: terrestrial

ground, esp with reference to its use, quality, etc
(in combination)land-grabber

rural or agricultural areas as contrasted with urban ones

farming as an occupation or way of life

law

any tract of ground capable of being owned as property, together with any buildings on it, extending above and below the surface
any hereditament, tenement, or other interest; realty

a country, region, or area
the people of a country, etc

a realm, sphere, or domain

economics the factor of production consisting of all natural resources

the unindented part of a grooved surface, esp one of the ridges inside a rifle bore

how the land lies the prevailing conditions or state of affairs

verb

to transfer (something) or go from a ship or boat to the shoreland the cargo

(intr) to come to or touch shore

to come down or bring (something) down to earth after a flight or jump

to come or bring to some point, condition, or state

(tr) angling to retrieve (a hooked fish) from the water

(tr) informal to win or obtainto land a job

(tr) informal to deliver (a blow)

Derived forms of land

landless, adjectivelandlessness, noun

Word Origin for land

Old English; compare Old Norse, Gothic land, Old High German lant

British Dictionary definitions for land (2 of 3)

Land¹

/ (lænd) /

noun

Edwin Herbert. 1909–91, US inventor of the Polaroid Land camera

British Dictionary definitions for land (3 of 3)

Land²

/ German (lant) /

noun plural Länder (ˈlɛndər)

any of the federal states of Germany
any of the provinces of Austria

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with land

land

In addition to the idioms beginning with land

land in
land on
land up

also see:

cloud-cuckoo land
fall (land) on one's feet
fat of the land
la-la land
lay of the land
never-never land

land

Idioms about land

Origin of land

OTHER WORDS FROM land

Other definitions for land (2 of 3)

Other definitions for land (3 of 3)

WORDS THAT USE -LAND

What does -land mean?

Examples of -land

Break it down!

Words related to land

How to use land in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for land (1 of 3)

Derived forms of land

Word Origin for land

British Dictionary definitions for land (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for land (3 of 3)

Other Idioms and Phrases with land