land

Definition of land

Etymology

Middle English < Old English land, lond ("ground, soil, defined piece of land, country") < Proto-Germanic *landan < Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- ("land, heath"). Cognate with West Frisian lân, Dutch land, and German Land.

Pronunciation

• enPR: lănd, IPA: /lænd/, SAMPA: /l{nd/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• Rhymes: -ænd

Noun

land (plural lands)

1. The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
   
   Most insects live on land.
2. real estate or landed property; a partitioned and measurable area which is owned and on which buildings can be erected.
   
   There are 50 acres of land in this estate.
3. A country or region.
   
   They come from a faraway land.
4. A person's country of origin and/or homeplace; homeland.
5. Ground that is suitable for farming.
   
   Plant the potatoes in the land.
6. (Ireland / colloquial) a fright.
   
   He got an awful land when the police arrived.
7. (electronics) A conducting area on a board or chip which can be used for connecting wires.
8. In a compact disc or similar recording medium, an area of the medium which does not have pits.
9. The space between the rifling grooves in a gun.

Adjective

land (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to land.
2. Residing or growing on land.

Verb

to land (third-person singular simple present lands, present participle landing, simple past and past participle landed)

1. (intransitive) To descend to a surface, especially from the air.
   
   The plane is about to land.
2. (dated) To alight, to descend from a vehicle.
   
   1859 Easton, Alexander, A Practical Treatise on Street or Horse-Power Railways, p 108, "Rules adopted by the Sixth Avenue Railway, N. Y.":
   
   * 10. You will be civil and attentive to passengers, giving proper assistance to ladies and children getting in or out, and never start the car before passengers are fairly received or landed.
3. (intransitive) To come into rest.
4. (intransitive) To arrive at land, especially a shore, or a dock, from a body of water.
5. (transitive) To bring to land.
   
   It can be tricky to land a helicopter.
   Use the net to land the fish.
6. (transitive) To acquire; to secure.
7. (transitive) To deliver.