1
a squatter in [place]
Squatters in the empty house annoyed the neighbors.
空房子里的擅自占屋者让邻居们很烦。
擅自占用土地或房屋的人；非法占有者
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
擅自占用土地或房屋的人；非法占有者
a person who occupies land or property without legal right or title
Squatters in the empty house annoyed the neighbors.
空房子里的擅自占屋者让邻居们很烦。
蹲坐者；闲坐的人。
One who squats; one who sits down idly.
The police removed the squatters from the empty apartment building.
警察把擅自占用空公寓楼的人赶走了。
A squatter had been living in the garden shed for weeks before the owner found out.
一个擅自占用者在花园棚屋里住了好几个星期，房主才发现。
Local residents complained about the squatter camping near the river.
当地居民抱怨那个在河边扎营的擅自占用者。
Squatters in the empty house annoyed the neighbors.
空房子里的擅自占屋者让邻居们很烦。
表示土地等平面时用 on；表示建筑物等空间时用 in。
The farmer called the police about a squatter on his land.
农民因为有人擅自占用他的土地而报了警。
The court ruled that he is a squatter, not a tenant.
法院裁定他是擅自占屋者，而不是租客。
Not this
The police evicted several squatter from the abandoned building.
Use this
The police evicted several squatters from the abandoned building.
squatter 是可数名词，表示‘擅自占用者’。汉语复数依靠语境，英语需要用复数标记，因此 several 后应使用复数形式 squatters。
Not this
They are squats living in that empty house.
Use this
They are squatters living in that empty house.
squat 作名词时指‘下蹲动作’或‘被擅自占用的房屋’，不能指人；表示‘擅自占用者’的施动名词是加 -er 的 squatter。
Not this
He has been a squatter of an old warehouse for months.
Use this
He has been a squatter in an old warehouse for months.
squatter 表示在某处擅自占用时，地点前惯用介词 in，而不用 of。a squatter of X 不是自然搭配，a squatter in X 才符合英语习惯。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
非法擅自占用者
Illegal squatters occupied the empty flat.
非法擅自占用者占用了那间空置公寓。
擅自占地者聚居区
Squatter settlements often lack basic services.
擅自占地者聚居区往往缺乏基本服务。
擅自占用者的权利
They tried to claim squatters' rights after years of living there.
在居住多年后，他们试图主张擅自占用者的权利。
驱逐擅自占用者
The council decided to evict the squatters from the property.
市政委员会决定将擅自占用者从这处房产中驱逐出去。
擅自占地住户
The number of squatter households has increased in recent years.
近年来，擅自占地住户的数量有所增加。
Use squatter naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
记住 squat（蹲）：想象一个人蹲在别人的土地或空房里赖着不走——这就是擅自占用的 squatter。
语域：mixed 常见场景：property news reports、urban housing disputes、historical land settlement records squatter 多用作名词，指擅自占用土地或空置房屋的人，常见于新闻报道、法律和社区讨论；这种用法语气比较中性。若指历史上合法定居政府土地并意图取得产权的人，则多出现于正式的历史或法律文本中。日常口语中不常用，宜视语境选择正式或中性表达。
与 -otter 拼写的词（hotter, potter, spotter, totter）发音为 /ˈhɒtə/ 等，与 squatter /ˈskwɒtə/ 押韵。注意：拼写为 -atter 的 fatter /ˈfætə/ 和 matter /ˈmætə/ 不押韵，发音不同。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.