German edit

 

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle High German höuschrecke, from Old High German houwiscrecko. Analysable as Heu (hay) +‎ schrecken (to jump up). Originally a masculine that developed into a feminine under the influence of the frequently used plural (a common development in modern German); compare the southern alternative form.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɔʏ̯ˌʃrɛkə/
  • (file)

Noun edit

Heuschrecke f (genitive Heuschrecke, plural Heuschrecken)

  1. grasshopper; locust
    Synonyms: (informal) Grashüpfer, Heupferd
  2. (colloquial, derogatory) an investor who buys enterprises or properties and deals with them in a way that harms the local population
    1. (especially East Germany, historical) an investor from West Germany who did this in the former GDR, exploiting the chaos following German reunification

Declension edit

Hyponyms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit