de land
HighPredominantly neutral; the literal aviation sense is technical, while the figurative uses are informal.
Definition
Meaning
(Of an aircraft) to come down from the air and settle onto a surface, especially the ground or water.
(Informal) To cause something or someone to come down or to arrive, especially after a journey. Also used metaphorically to mean 'to succeed in obtaining something', as in 'to land a job'.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb is often used transitively (to land a plane) and intransitively (the plane landed). The figurative sense (land a job/deal/punch) is common in informal and business contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor spelling differences in derived forms (landed, landing) are consistent with general patterns. The core meaning and usage are identical.
Connotations
No significant difference in connotation. The term is standard in aviation and informal contexts in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] lands [on/in Location][Subject] lands [Object] [on/in Location]to land [someone] in [difficulty/trouble]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “land on one's feet”
- “land a blow”
- “how the cookie crumbles/cookie crumbles”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common in informal business talk: 'We finally landed the client.'
Academic
Used in geography/aviation contexts. Figurative use possible in social sciences (e.g., 'landed in poverty').
Everyday
Frequent for travel and job-hunting: 'My flight lands at six.' 'She landed a great position.'
Technical
Standard term in aviation, aerospace, and logistics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The pilot will de land the aircraft in heavy fog.
- He really landed himself in it with that comment.
- The module is scheduled to de land on the lunar surface.
American English
- The plane had to de land on a nearby highway.
- She just landed a major promotion.
- His joke landed poorly with the audience.
adverb
British English
- The plane came in de land. (Note: 'to land' is the verb; no standard adverbial form exists for 'de land'.)
American English
- He jumped de land. (Note: 'to land' is the verb; no standard adverbial form exists for 'de land'.)
adjective
British English
- The de landed nobility held vast estates. (Note: 'landed' is the standard form; 'de landed' is not used as an adjective.)
American English
- The de landed fish were measured by the crew. (Note: 'landed' is the standard form; 'de landed' is not used as an adjective.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The airplane will de land soon.
- Look, the bird is landing on the roof!
- We landed at Heathrow Airport after a long flight.
- Be careful or you'll land in trouble.
- Despite the storm, the captain managed to land the plane safely.
- After months of searching, he finally landed his dream job.
- The spacecraft is programmed to de land autonomously in the designated zone.
- Her controversial statement landed her at the centre of a media storm.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a pilot saying, 'The land is below, so we must DEscend to LAND.' DE + LAND = to come down onto the land.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACHIEVEMENT IS CATCHING/OBTAINING SOMETHING (e.g., land a job, land a deal). DIFFICULTY IS A PLACE (e.g., land in hot water).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with the noun 'земля' (land/ground). The verb 'de land' is specifically about the action of coming down onto it.
- The figurative 'land a job' does not directly translate to 'получить работу' with a spatial metaphor in Russian, so the English phrasing must be learned as a chunk.
- Avoid calquing 'de land in trouble' as 'приземлиться в беде'; use the correct idiom 'попасть в беду'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'The bird de landed on the tree.' (Correct: 'The bird landed on the tree.')
- Incorrect: 'He was landed a new job.' (Correct passive is rare: 'A new job was landed by him' is unnatural. Prefer active: 'He landed a new job.')
- Misspelling as one word: 'deland'.
Practice
Quiz
In an informal business context, what does 'to land a deal' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a phrasal verb written as two separate words: 'de land'. The 'de-' is a prefix attached to the verb 'land', but in modern usage it is considered a phrasal verb.
Yes, the verb 'land' is far more common and carries the same core meaning. 'De land' is a less common, emphatic, or formal variant often found in technical contexts like aviation manuals.
The past tense is 'de landed', following the regular '-ed' rule (e.g., 'The aircraft de landed at noon').
Yes, but less frequently than 'land'. You might hear 'de landed in a difficult situation' or 'de landed a big contract', though 'land' is more idiomatic for figurative uses.