encroaching
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en·croach
(ĕn-krōch′)intr.v. en·croached, en·croach·ing, en·croach·es
1. To take another's possessions or rights gradually or stealthily: encroach on a neighbor's land.
2. To advance beyond proper or former limits: desert encroaching upon grassland.
3. Football To commit encroachment.
[Middle English encrochen, to seize illegally, from Old French encrochier, to seize : en-, in; see en-1 + croc, hook (of Germanic origin).]
en·croach′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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| Adj. | 1. | encroaching - gradually intrusive without right or permission; "we moved back from the encroaching tide"; "invasive tourists"; "trespassing hunters"intrusive - tending to intrude (especially upon privacy); "she felt her presence there was intrusive" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
encroaching - gradually intrusive without right or permission; "we moved back from the encroaching tide"; "invasive tourists"; "trespassing hunters"