squatter

American  

[skwot-er] / ˈskwɒt ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that squats.

2. a person who settles on land or occupies property without title, right, or payment of rent.

3. a person who settles on land under government regulation, in order to acquire title.

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squatter British  

/ ˈskwɒtə /

noun

1. a person who occupies property or land to which he has no legal title

2. 1. (formerly) a person who occupied a tract of land, esp pastoral land, as tenant of the Crown

   2. a farmer of sheep or cattle on a large scale

3. (in New Zealand) a 19th-century settler who took up large acreage on a Crown lease

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Other Word Forms

• squatterdom noun

Etymology

Origin of squatter

First recorded in 1775–85; squat + -er ¹

Example Sentences

The buildings that housed a prideful labor force are vandalized, colonized by squatters or boarded up.

From Los Angeles Times

A security guard stood in front of the cabana to stop any would-be squatters.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Built by a fellow, oh, twenty years ago,” said Pa. “He was a squatter who pitched a tent in the woods and built that outhouse.”

From Literature

Animal control officers from Pasadena Humane confirmed that a bear was living under an Altadena house Sunday but could not be sure if the latest bear squatter was the same bruin from the earlier incident.

From Los Angeles Times

The corner lot on which the club stands is now surrounded by hundreds of dilapidated and abandoned buildings occupied by squatters.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• settler