no-man's-land

Noun

no man's land (countable and uncountable, plural no man's lands)

1. The ground between trenches where a soldier from either side would be easily targeted.
   • Near-synonym: kill zone

   Synonyms:

   kill zone

2. A space amidships used to keep blocks, ropes, etc.; a space on a ship belonging to no one in particular for which to care.
3. The part of a prison, hospital complex, etc. where individuals are not normally allowed to enter.
4. (figuratively) A place where no one can or should be present.
   • Now, George, if you’re going to consider this question from the point of view of poetry, you’re off to No Man’s Land, where I won’t follow you.1867 April 6, T[homas] W[illiam] Robertson, “Act I.[—The Little House in Stangate—Courtship.]”, in Caste: An Original Comedy, London: […] J[ohn] Ogden and Co., […], →OCLC, page 8
5. The area between the backcourt and the space close to the net, from which it is difficult to return the ball.
6. An area of the field where a fielder cannot save a single, nor stop a boundary.

See all 12 meanings of no man's land