OC'CUPANT, noun 1. He that occupies or takes possession; he that has possession. 2. In law, one that first takes possession of that which has no legal owner. The right of property, either in wild beasts and fowls, or in land belonging to no person, vests in the first occupant The property in these cases follows the possession.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI