marking territory
Staking a claim
Marking territory is the behavior of establishing ownership or dominance over a space.
Animals mark territory by urinating, scratching, or leaving scent—dogs on fire hydrants, cats on furniture.
Humans mark territory through fences, flags, or simply leaving belongings on a table to claim it: He spread his papers across the desk, marking territory.
Figuratively, it describes any assertion of control over a domain: The new manager spent her first week marking territory.
- scentAirborne odor detected
- boundaryLine marking a limit
- urineRenal excretion fluid
- sprayDispersed liquid droplets
- fire hydrantStreet water outlet
claim · dominance · pecking order · patrol · perimeter · scratch · rub · pheromones · ownership · home turf · warning · back off · fence · post · no man's land · dog · wolf · wild animal
- animal behaviorsswimming, running, walking, jumping, flying
- territory defenseborder patrol, fence, wall, guard dog, alarm system
- primal instinctsinstinct, primal, feral, savage, predator
- establishing positiondigging in, anchoring, fortifying, holding ground, rooting
- dominance displaysdisplay, alpha behavior, power stance, chest puffing, baring teeth
marking territorycommunal living
Shared domestic arrangement
open access · vacating · retreating · withdrawing · nomadism
marking territoryintegration
Combining into a whole
inclusion · hospitality · open-door policy · free movement · commons
marking territorysubmission
Yielding to another's will
yielding · deference · backing down · rolling over · appeasement
marking, territory, mark, marked, marker, markers, territorial, territories, territorially