land grab

or land-grab

noun

the seizing of land by a nation, state, or organization, especially illegally, underhandedly, or unfairly.

Nearby words

land dayak, land flowing with milk and honey, land forces, land freeze, land girl, land grab, land grant, land in, land lane, land legs, land line

Related forms

land-grab·ber, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for landgrab

landgrab

/ (ˈlændˌɡræb) /

noun

informal a sudden attempt to establish ownership of or copyright on something in advance of competitors

Word Origin for landgrab

C20: from the competition to stake claims to available land in 19th-century America

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