landshark

See also: land shark and land-shark

English

Alternative forms

• land shark, land-shark

Etymology

land +‎ shark

Noun

landshark (plural landsharks)

1. (obsolete, slang, derogatory, among smugglers) A customs officer.
2. (obsolete, slang, derogatory) A swindler or fraudster.
3. (derogatory) A landgrabber.
   • 1880, Parliamentary Debates, New Zealand. Parliament. House of Representatives, page 332:

     By the Europeans, Sir, to gratify the lust of the landsharks and land-jobbers who hungered after the lands of the Natives: it was to satisfy their greed, and not for the benefit of the Natives in any way.

See also

• bulette