homesteader
/ˈhəʊmstedə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhəʊmstedər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhōm-ˌste-dər/ (ame, mw)
homesteader — noun
- homesteadersingular
- homesteadersplural
1. A person who, especially in the 1800s and early 1900s, received a piece of land
A person who, especially in the 1800s and early 1900s, received a piece of land from the government and built a home and farm on it, with the goal of becoming the official owner after working the land for several years.
Liam became a homesteader in the Dakota Territory in 1872 after the government opened the land to settlers.
time period + government land opening
A homesteader's first tasks included building a simple cabin and digging a well for fresh water.
homesteader's + concrete daily tasks
Elena's family joined a group of homesteaders who made the long trip west on the Oregon Trail.
Many homesteaders planted wheat and corn on the dry plains and hoped for enough rain.
Andre was a homesteader who had to start work before sunrise and keep farming until late autumn.
- settler
Broader term for anyone who moves to a new area to live there; does not specify the land-grant arrangement
- pioneer
Emphasises being among the first people to explore or open up a new region; carries a stronger sense of hardship and trailblazing
- squatter
Someone who occupies land without legal right; opposite legal status from a homesteader
- renter
A person who pays to use land or housing rather than owning it
- tenant farmer
A farmer who works land owned by someone else, often paying rent with a share of the crops
文法句型
a/the + homesteader
homesteader + who [relative clause]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the context of US westward expansion, especially after the Homestead Act of 1862, but also applied to similar government land-grant programmes in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Not generally used for modern farmers who buy land on the open market.