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no man's land

no man's land

noun noh-manz-LAHND Rare

Origin: Borrowed from English 'no man's land,' originally a WWI military term for ground between opposing trenches.

Usage Note

No man's land is used in French without translation, both in military contexts (the ground between two front lines) and figuratively for any ambiguous zone of authority or identity — un no man's land juridique is a legal grey area. It is treated as masculine and invariable in plural.

Examples

"Les soldats avancèrent dans le no man's land."

Natural Translation

The soldiers advanced into no man's land.

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