territory

ter·ri·to·ry   (těr'ĭ-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē)    n.   pl. ter·ri·to·ries An area of land; a region. The land and waters under the jurisdiction of a government. A political subdivision of a country. A geographic region, such as a colonial possession, that is dependent on an external government: the territories of the Holy Roman Empire. A subdivision of the United States that is not a state and is administered by an appointed or elected governor and elected legislature. A similarly organized political subdivision of Canada or Australia. often Territory A subdivision of the United States that is not a state and is administered by an appointed or elected governor and elected legislature. A similarly organized political subdivision of Canada or Australia. An area for which a person is responsible as a representative or agent: a salesperson's territory. Sports The area of a field defended by a specified team: punted the ball deep into the opponent's territory. Biology An area occupied by a single animal, mating pair, or group and often vigorously defended against intruders, especially those of the same species. A sphere of action or interest; a province. See Synonyms at field. [Middle English, from Latin territōrium, from terra, earth; see ters- in Indo-European roots.]

Main Entry: ter·ri·to·ry
Pronunciation: 'ter-&-"tOr-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
1 : a geographical area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority
2 : a political subdivision of a country
3 : a part of the U.S. (as Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands) not included within any state but organized with a separate legislature —compare TRUST TERRITORY —ter·ri·to·ri·al /"ter-&-'tOr-E-&l/ adjective —ter·ri·to·ri·al·ly adverb

territory   (těr'ĭ-tôr'ē)  Pronunciation Key  A geographic area occupied by a single animal, mating pair, or group. Animals usually defend their territory vigorously against intruders, especially of the same species, but the defense often takes the form of prominent, threatening displays rather than out-and-out fighting. Different animals mark off territory in different ways, as by leaving traces of their scent along the boundaries or, in the case of birds, modifying their calls to keep out intruders.

territory

see come with the territory; cover the field (territory).

territory

in ecology, any area defended by an organism or a group of similar organisms for such purposes as mating, nesting, roosting, or feeding. Most vertebrates and some invertebrates, such as arthropods, including insects, exhibit territorial behaviour. Possession of a territory involves aggressive behaviour and thus contrasts with the home range, which is the area in which the animal normally lives. Home range is not associated with aggressive behaviour, although parts of the home range may be defended: in this case the defended part is the territory. The type of territory varies with the social behaviour and environmental and resource requirements of the particular species and often serves more than one function, but whatever the type, the territory acts as a spacing mechanism and a means of allocating resources among a segment of the population and denying it to others. Some authorities also consider plants or animals that secrete repulsive chemicals into their immediate environments to be territorial, because the substances space individuals of the species apart from one another.

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