squatter

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
noun someone who settles on land without right or title
adjective short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature

From squat + -er.

The squatter's judgment was bad—that is plain; but his heart was right. — Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World, Mark Twain
That was built to repel Indians' attacks; this is a mere squatter's hut." — True to the Old Flag: A Tale of the American War of Independence, G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
Squatter sovereignty to be allowed in Kansas and Nebraska, Utah and New Mexico territories. — A School History of the United States, John Bach McMaster

homesteader, nester

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