No man's land

An aerial reconnaissance photograph of the opposing trenches and no man's land between Loos and Hulluch in Artois, France. German trenches are at the right and bottom, and British trenches are at the top left. The vertical line to the left of centre indicates the course of a pre-war road or track.
An aerial photograph showing opposing trenches and no man's land between Loos and Hulluch during World War I

No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms.[1] It is commonly associated with World War I to describe the area of land between two enemy trench systems, not controlled by either side.[2][3] The term is also used metaphorically, to refer to an ambiguous, anomalous, or indefinite area, regarding an application, situation,[4] or jurisdiction.[5][6] It has sometimes been used to name a specific place.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Persico 68 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Coleman p. 268
  3. ^ a b "no man's land". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. 256795. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  4. ^ "No-man's land definition and meaning". www.collinsdictionary.com.
  5. ^ "Definition of No-Man's-Land". www.merriam-webster.com.
  6. ^ "Portraits of No-Man's-Land". artsandculture.google.com.

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