landgrab

From land +‎ grab. Compare Old Norse landnám (“the taking of land”).

landgrab (plural landgrabs)

1. A landrush.
   • 2008 May 19, David Carr, “Geeks Crash a House of Fashion”, in New York Times‎:

     Of course, every big media company is buying digital properties —— in a landgrab either for audience or bragging rights.

landgrab (third-person singular simple present landgrabs, present participle landgrabbing, simple past and past participle landgrabbed)

1. To acquire land that one does not have a right to possess.
   • 1986, IDOC Internazionale - Volume 17, page 27:

     American, Japanese and European multinational corporations continue to landgrab tens of thousands of hectares of land for their agribusiness and plunder Mindanao's natural resources.

   • 2015, Sister Blandina Segale, At the End of the Santa Fe Trail:

     I am sure this man is not out here to landgrab, but—and one's judgment is suspended—why find him on the plains near Glorieta, with no money and with an inflamed arm caused by two missing fingers on the left hand?

   • 2017, Ty Patterson, Trigger Break:

     Bevcic had landgrabbed territory from the other existing gangs, coming from seemingly nowhere, and had soon been the dominant player in the East Portland area.