claim-jumper

A miner confronts a claim-jumper at his gold mine.

Definition

Noun: A person who illegally seizes or occupies a mining claim (a piece of land with mineral rights) that has already been legally staked by another individual.

Usage Examples

• (A person who unlawfully took over the mining claim.)
• (People who seized others' mining claims during a historical period.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a claim-jumper": to act as a person who unlawfully takes over another's mining claim.

  • He was labelled a claim-jumper after moving onto the already-staked territory. (He was accused of illegally occupying the claim.)

• "claim-jumping" (noun/gerund): the act of seizing another's mining claim.

  • Claim-jumping was a common crime in the Old West. (The practice of illegally taking mining claims was widespread.)

Variants and Related Words

• Claim-jumping (n): the act or practice of illegally seizing a mining claim.
  • The law strictly prohibits claim-jumping. (The legal seizure of another's claim is forbidden.)

Synonyms

• Trespasser: a person who enters another's property without permission.
• Usurper: a person who takes a position or property illegally.

Related Idioms

• Stake a claim: to assert a right to something, especially land or resources.

  • The miner staked a claim on the riverbank. (He formally marked his legal right to the area.)

• Jump the claim: to illegally take over a mining claim.

  • He tried to jump the claim, but the owner caught him. (He attempted to seize the claim unlawfully.)