nounnoun

der Eindringling, -e

intruder

Eine Person oder ein Tier, das ohne Erlaubnis an einen Ort kommt, an dem sie nicht sein dürfen.

Definition & meaning

The word refers to a person, animal, or object that enters a place, territory, or system where they are not authorized, invited, or welcome. Most commonly, it is translated as "intruder," "trespasser," or "invader."

In a physical sense, it describes someone breaking into a building or crossing a border illegally. In a biological context, it can refer to a foreign organism, such as a parasite or a virus, entering a body. It is also used in technology to describe a hacker or unauthorized software entering a secure network.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a masculine noun. Its plural form is "die Eindringlinge."

It is a compound word formed from the following parts:

The prefix ein, which in this context indicates movement into something.
The verb dringen, which means to press, pierce, or force a way through. Together, eindringen means "to penetrate" or "to intrude."
The suffix -ling, which is used in German to characterize a person by a specific trait or action (similar to the English suffix "-er" in some contexts, but often carrying a slightly more descriptive or sometimes pejorative tone).