ganglandn.adj.
/ˈɡaŋland/, U.S. /ˈɡæŋˌlænd/ Originally U.S.
A. n.
Gangs or gangsters collectively; the world of organized crime, the criminal underworld. Also: territory controlled by a gang or gangs.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > criminality > criminal person > [noun] > gang > domain of
gangdom1889
gangland1912
gangsterdom1923
society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > [noun] > crime > a criminal or law-breaker > criminal gang > collectively
gangland1912
society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > [noun] > crime > a criminal or law-breaker > criminal gang > world of
gangdom1889
gangland1912
gangsterdom1923
1912 A. H. Lewis Apaches N.Y. 15 The first lesson of Gangland is never to inform nor give evidence.
1927 F. M. Thrasher Gang i. i. 7 The North Side jungles of gangland lie north of the Loop.
1932 E. Wallace When Gangs came to London viii. 64 Gangland does not talk scandal even of its worst enemies.
1970 Listener 4 June 767/2 London's gangland is ruled by rival brothers known as the Venice Doge and the Genoa Doge.
1991 N. Mailer Harlot's Ghost v. xxi. 847 Five hoods with machine guns would offer a clear message to the world that gangland did the job.
2005 E. Barr Plan B (2006) xvii. 177 Back then, it was in the middle of ganglands... Nowadays, [people] are falling over each other to move in there.
B. adj. (attributive).
Of or relating to (esp. criminal) gangs, organized crime, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > [adjective] > relating to crime > organized
gangland1912
racketeering1928
organized1929
gangsterish1934
1912 A. H. Lewis Apaches N.Y. x. 214 Gangland opinion, however, was against them.
1931 Daily Express 28 Apr. 2/1 All crimes attributable either to the gangland chief or his henchmen.
1953 Sun (Baltimore) 12 June 34/3 Police marked down the Messina murder as one of Baltimore's extremely rare gangland rubouts.
1971 Daily Tel. 15 Sept. 1/1 Police believe a gangland killing may be connected with the discovery early yesterday of a bloodstained car at Chigwell, Essex.
2010 Independent 10 Sept. 28/1 They led the Gooch Gang which for 20 years was responsible for murders, gangland shootings and turf wars in the Moss Side estate.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1912