Squatter

n. homesteader, one who settles on a section of land in order to gain a deed of ownership; someone who illegally settles on a section of land

Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use. Squatting is significantly more common in urban areas than rural areas, especially when urban decay occurs. According to author Robert Neuwirth, there may be as many as one billion squatters globally, or about one of every seven people.
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Noun
1. someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
(synonym) homesteader, nester
(hypernym) settler, colonist
2. someone who settles on land without right or title
(hypernym) intruder, interloper, trespasser
(derivation) squat

Noun
1. exercising by repeatedly assuming a squatting position; strengthens the leg muscles
(synonym) knee bend, squatting
(hypernym) leg exercise
(derivation) crouch, scrunch, scrunch up, hunker, hunker down
2. a small worthless amount; "you don't know jack"
(synonym) jack, diddly-squat, diddlysquat, diddly-shit, diddlyshit, diddly, diddley, shit
(hypernym) small indefinite quantity, small indefinite amount
3. the act of assuming or maintaining a squatting position
(synonym) squatting
(hypernym) motion, movement, move, motility
(derivation) crouch, scrunch, scrunch up, hunker, hunker down
Verb
1. sit on one's heels; "In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting"; "The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm"
(synonym) crouch, scrunch, scrunch up, hunker, hunker down
(hypernym) sit, sit down
(derivation) squatting
2. be close to the earth, or be disproportionately wide; "The building squatted low"
(hypernym) be
3. occupy (a dwelling) illegally
(hypernym) occupy, reside, lodge in
(derivation) squatter
Adjective
1. short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature; "some people seem born to be square and chunky"; "a dumpy little dumpling of a woman"; "dachshunds are long lowset dogs with drooping ears"; "a little church with a squat tower"; "a squatty red smokestack"; "a stumpy ungainly figure"
(synonym) chunky, dumpy, low-set, squatty, stumpy
(similar) short
2. having a low center of gravity; built low to the ground
(synonym) underslung
(similar) low

v. squat, occupy land by settling on it (legally or illegally)

n. squatter, homesteader