accroach
transitive verb
ac·croach
əˈkrōch,
aˈ-
-ed/-ing/-es
: assume, appropriate, usurp
accroach to themselves royal power
William Stubbs
William Stubbs
Word History
Etymology
Middle English acrochen to draw, acquire, from Middle French acrochier, from a- (from Latin ad-) + crochier to hook, get hold of, from croc hook, of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse krōkr hook
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above