Lands

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /lændz/

Definitions

1. Touches down or arrives on a surface, especially after flying ; gains ownership or control of land or property
2. Arrives safely on a ground or platform after a flight ; acquires real estate or territory
3. Settles on the earth or another surface ; obtains legal possession of land or an area

Etymology: The verb "land" has a surprisingly wide reach: its noun sense, "ground," is the older meaning, and the verb grew out of it. The noun traces back through Middle English "lond" and Old English "land" to a Proto-Germanic form, "landą," and further to a Proto-Indo-European root, "lendʰ-," meaning "land" or "heath." That root is notable because its relatives spread across far-flung languages: Welsh "llan" meant "enclosure," Old Irish "lann" meant "heath," and French "lande" still means a heath or moor. The idea of open, often barren ground runs through the whole family. The word "lands" here is the third-person singular present form of the verb "land," so the sense "arrives safely on the ground" is the verb's use, while "acquires territory" grows from the noun.

Synonyms: territories, regions

Antonyms: seas, oceans