encroach

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   advance beyond the usual limit

   The sea began to encroach upon the fields.

2. 2
   verb

   impinge or infringe upon

   The sea began to encroach upon the fields.

3. 3
   verb

   to seize, appropriate

   The sea began to encroach upon the fields.

4. 4
   verb

   To intrude unrightfully on someone else’s rights or territory.

   [D]rowſie drouping Age, / incroaching on apace, / With penſiue Plough will raze your hue / and Beauties beames deface.

Multiword verbs with encroach

• encroach upon Prepositional verb C2

  to gradually intrude on another person's space, rights, or activities

Appears in

From Middle English encrochen, from Old French encrochier (“to seize”), from Old French en- + croc (“hook”), of Germanic origin. More at crook.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary