land-poor
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of land-poor
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The motive of President after President was to encourage settlement of the empty, rocky area, once regarded hungrily by land-poor Chile as a possible zone of expansion.
From Time Magazine Archive
Texas—immense, unorganized, full of cattle for which no profitable market could be found, cattle-rustlers, land-poor cow-barons and original sin.
From Time Magazine Archive
His father, a land-poor, dirt-poor migrant farmer, went as far north as Canada to harvest crops.
From Time Magazine Archive
Notwithstanding his many acres, he felt himself growing "land-poor," as country people phrase it.
From Nature's Serial Story by Roe, Edward Payson
Bacon was what is called land-poor in the West, that is, he had more land than money; still he was able to give if he felt disposed.
From Prairie Folks by Garland, Hamlin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
