encroach

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The Word of the Day for January 31 is:

encroach   \in-KROACH\   verb
     *1 : to enter by gradual steps or by stealth into the 
possessions or rights of another
      2 : to advance beyond the usual or proper limits

Example sentence:
      The police offered a compromise that kept the sidewalk 
clear without encroaching on the protesters' rights.

Did you know?
      The history behind "encroach" is likely to hook you in. 
First appearing in English in the 16th century, the word 
derives from the Middle English "encrochen," which means "to 
get or seize" and whose Anglo-French predecessor "encrocher" 
was formed by combining the prefix "en-" ("in") with the 
noun "croche" ("hook"). "Croche" also gave us our 
word "crochet," in reference to the hooked needle used in that 
craft. "Encroach" carries the meaning of "intrude" both in 
terms of property (as in "encroaching on one's land") or 
privilege (as demonstrated in our example sentence). The word 
can also hop over legal barriers to describe a general 
advancement beyond desirable or normal limits (such as a 
hurricane that encroaches on the mainland).

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.