no-man's-land

noun

1
a
: an area of unowned, unclaimed, or uninhabited land
b
: an unoccupied area between opposing armies
c
: an area not suitable or used for occupation or habitation
downtown was a retailing no-man's-land
2
: an anomalous, ambiguous, or indefinite area especially of operation, application, or jurisdiction
the no-man's-land between art and science

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of no-man's-land was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near no-man's-land

Cite this Entry

“No-man's-land.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/no-man%27s-land. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

no-man's-land

noun
ˈnō-ˌmanz-ˌland
1
: an unoccupied area between opposing armies
2
: an area of indefinite or uncertain character
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