land
noun /lænd/
/lænd/
Idioms - [uncountable] the surface of the earth that is not sea
- The new project will reclaim the land from the sea.
- on land It was good to be back on land.
- Some animals can live both on land and in water.
- by land We travelled by land, though flying would have been cheaper.
- It's impossible to reach this beach by land because of the high cliffs.
- We can organize air transport, land transport and all accommodation for your trip.
Synonyms floorfloor- ground
- land
- earth
- floor the surface of a room that you walk on:
- She was sitting on the floor watching TV.
- ground (often the ground) the solid surface of the earth that you walk on:
- I found her lying on the ground.
- The rocket crashed a few seconds after it left the ground.
- land the surface of the earth that is not sea:
- It was good to be back on dry land again.
- They fought both at sea and on land.
- earth (often the earth) the solid surface of the world that is made of rock, soil, sand, etc:
- You could feel the earth shake as the truck came closer.
- on/under the floor/ground/earth
- bare floor/ground/earth
- to drop/fall to the floor/the ground/(the) earth
- to reach the floor/the ground/land
Synonyms soilsoilsee also dry land- mud
- dust
- clay
- land
- earth
- dirt
- ground
- soil the top layer of the earth in which plants grow:
- Plant the seedlings in damp soil.
- mud wet soil that is soft and sticky:
- The car wheels got stuck in the mud.
- dust a fine powder that consists of very small pieces of rock, earth, etc:
- A cloud of dust rose as the truck set off.
- clay a type of heavy sticky soil that becomes hard when it is baked and is used to make things such as pots and bricks:
- The tiles are made of clay.
- land an area of ground, especially of a particular type:
- an area of rich, fertile land
- earth the substance that plants grow in Earth is often used about the soil found in gardens or used for gardening: She put some earth into the pot.
- dirt (especially North American English) soil, especially loose soil:
- Pack the dirt firmly around the plants.
- ground an area of soil:
- The car got stuck in the muddy ground.
- They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.
- good/rich soil/land/earth
- fertile/infertile soil/land/ground
- to dig the soil/mud/clay/land/earth/ground
- to cultivate the soil/land/ground
Extra Examples- The elephant is the largest living land animal.
- In the distance the crew sighted land.
- The explorers reached land after a long voyage.
- With the land forces defeated, everything now rested on the navy.
- Antarctica is the only continent without a land mammal population.
- At last we sighted land.
- They fought both at sea and on land.
- We travelled mainly by land.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- dry
- reach
- sight
- reclaim
- …
- mass
- surface
- animal
- …
- by land
- on land
- [uncountable](also lands [plural])an area of ground, especially of a particular type or used for a particular purpose synonym terrain
- agricultural/arable/fertile land
- Changes in land use can have significant effects on the local wildlife.
- a piece/plot of land
- They are not permitted to build on the surrounding green belt land (= open land around a city).
- The land rose to the east.
- Some of the country's richest grazing lands are in these valleys.
Synonyms landlandsee also common land- lot
- ground
- space
- plot
- land an area of ground, especially one that is used for a particular purpose:
- agricultural land
- lot (North American English) a piece of land that is used or intended for a particular purpose:
- building lots
- a parking lot
- ground an area of land that is used for a particular purpose :
- The kids were playing on waste ground near the school.
- the site of an ancient burial ground
- space a large area of land that has no buildings on it:
- The city has plenty of open space.
- the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies
- plot a small piece of land used or intended for a particular purpose:
- She bought a small plot of land to build a house.
- a vegetable plot
- an open space
- open/empty/vacant/waste/derelict land/ground
- a/an empty/vacant lot/plot
Extra Examples- The land was very dry and hard after the long, hot summer.
- a piece of waste/derelict land
- Every scrap of land is used for growing food.
- Good agricultural land is scarce.
- The land has been cleared ready for building.
- They finally got out of the town and reached open land.
- a piece of land adjoining a disused railway line
- animals grazing on marginal land that was previously heath or moorland
- land that is rich in mineral deposits
- prime building land
- rich agricultural land
- the clearing of forested areas to create pastures and arable land
- It's an attractive village in the heart of the county's agricultural lands.
- Sheep and goats can live quite happily on mountainous land like this.
- The land is parched and no crops grow here.
- The valley provides some rich grazing land for farmers.
- There was a stretch of derelict land next to the railway.
- an area of rich, fertile land
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- prime
- fertile
- …
- area
- parcel
- patch
- …
- have
- hold
- own
- …
- adjoin something
- agent
- office
- registry
- …
- [uncountable](also formal lands [plural])the area of ground that somebody owns, especially when you think of it as property that can be bought or sold
- public/private land
- to own/buy/purchase/sell land
- He acquired a parcel of several acres of land.
- The college owns vast tracts of land.
- land ownership/acquisition
- Land values in the area are falling.
- During the war their lands were occupied by the enemy.
- Ancient tribes were forced off their ancestral lands.
- The adjoining plot of land belongs to the local council.
Extra Examples- The price of land is rising rapidly.
- conflicts over tribal lands
- the tribe's ancestral lands
- These remote tribal lands have been semi-autonomous for decades.
- He owns 50 hectares of land in Scotland.
- He was granted land by the king.
- This used to be common land, where everyone had the right to graze animals.
- The inhabitants of a village held land in common.
- The wealthy colonists bought up vast tracts of land.
- They own a small plot of land.
- Everyone had the right to graze animals on communal land.
- They were refused permission to develop the land.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- prime
- fertile
- …
- area
- parcel
- patch
- …
- have
- hold
- own
- …
- adjoin something
- agent
- office
- registry
- …
- the land[uncountable] used to refer to the countryside and the way people live in the country as opposed to in cities
- At the beginning of the 20th century almost a third of the population lived off the land (= grew or produced their own food).
- Many people leave the land to find work in towns and cities.
- Her family had farmed the land for generations.
Synonyms countrycountry- landscape
- countryside
- terrain
- land
- scenery
- country (often the country) an area that is away from towns and cities, especially one with particular natural features:
- She lives in the country.
- an area of wooded country
- landscape everything that you can see when you look across a large area of land, especially in the country:
- This pattern of woods and fields is typical of the English landscape.
- countryside land outside towns and cities, with fields, woods and farms. Countryside is usually used when you are talking about the beauty or peacefulness of a country area: a little village in the French countryside.
- terrain (formal) land. Terrain is used when you are describing the natural features of an area, for example if it is rough, flat, etc: The truck bumped its way over the rough terrain.
- land (usually the land) the countryside; the way people live in the country as opposed to in towns and cities:
- Many younger people are leaving the land to find work in the cities.
- scenery the natural features of an area, such as mountains, valleys, rivers and forests, especially when these are attractive to look at:
- We stopped on the mountain pass to admire the scenery.
- mountainous/mountain/wild/rugged country/landscape/countryside/terrain/scenery
- beautiful/glorious/dramatic country/landscape/countryside/scenery
- open country/landscape/countryside/terrain/land
- rolling country/landscape/countryside
- to protect the landscape/countryside/land
Extra Examples- He's tired of living in cities, and wants to get back to the land.
- His family had always worked the land.
- It's very fertile countryside where you can just live off the land.
- Almost a third of the population live off the land.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + the land- live off
- farm
- work
- …
- [countable] (literary) used to refer to a country or region in a way that involves the emotions or the imagination
- She longed to return to her native land.
- They dreamed of travelling to foreign lands.
- faraway lands beyond the sea
- America is the land of freedom and opportunity.
- the land of the fairies/elves/giants
Extra Examples- He journeyed to many distant lands.
- She was all alone in a strange land.
- He found himself all alone in a strange land.
- They dreamed of travelling to faraway lands.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- ancestral
- native
- distant
- …
- conquer
- occupy
- rule
- …
surface of earth
area of ground
countryside
country/region
Word OriginOld English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch land and German Land.
Idioms
in the land of the living
- (often humorous) alive; not sleeping; no longer ill
- I’m glad to see you’re back in the land of the living. We were worried about you.
- By lunchtime I’d returned to the land of the living.
in the land of Nod
- (old-fashioned, humorous) sleeping
- Pete and Jo were still in the land of Nod, so I went out for a walk in the morning sunshine.
the land of milk and honey
- a place where life is pleasant and easy and people are very happy
- He dreamed of emigrating to Canada—the land of milk and honey.
the lie of the land (British English)
(North American English the lay of the land)
- the way the land in an area is formed and what physical characteristics it has
- The castle was hidden by the lie of the land.
- the way a situation is now and how it is likely to develop
- Check out the lie of the land before you make a decision.
live off the fat of the land
- to have enough money to be able to afford expensive things, food, drink, etc.
see, etc. how the land lies
- (British English) to find out about a situation
- Let's wait and see how the land lies before we do anything.
spy out the land
- to collect information before deciding what to do