verb / noun
squat
Occupying property without legal permission.
The group squats in an empty building without the owner's permission.
Etymology
The verb developed the posture of crouching close to the ground, then settling in a place. The occupancy sense specialized to settling on property without legal title.
More examples
- Their squat lasted several months.
- The owners discovered people squatting upstairs.
- He had squatted there during a period without housing.
Forms
squat · squats · squatted · squatting