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EARTH Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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View synonyms for earth

earth

[ urth ]

noun

  1. (often initial capital letter) the planet third in order from the sun, having an equatorial diameter of 7,926 miles (12,755 km) and a polar diameter of 7,900 miles (12,714 km), a mean distance from the sun of 92.9 million miles (149.6 million km), and a period of revolution of 365.26 days, and having one satellite.
  2. the inhabitants of this planet, especially the human inhabitants:

    The whole earth rejoiced.

  3. this planet as the habitation of humans, often in contrast to heaven and hell:

    to create a hell on earth.

  4. the surface of this planet:

    to fall to earth.

  5. the solid matter of this planet; dry land; ground.
  6. soil and dirt, as distinguished from rock and sand; the softer part of the land.
  7. the hole of a burrowing animal; lair.
  8. Chemistry. any of several metallic oxides that are difficult to reduce, as alumina, zirconia, and yttria. Compare alkaline earth, rare earth.
  9. Also called earth color. Fine Arts. any of various pigments consisting chiefly of iron oxides and tending toward brown in hue.
  10. Chiefly British Electronics. a ground.
  11. Archaic. a land or country.


verb (used with object)

  1. Chiefly British Electronics. to ground.

earth

/ ɜːθ /

noun

  1. sometimes capital the third planet from the sun, the only planet on which life is known to exist. It is not quite spherical, being flattened at the poles, and consists of three geological zones, the core, mantle, and thin outer crust. The surface, covered with large areas of water, is enveloped by an atmosphere principally of nitrogen (78 per cent), oxygen (21 per cent), and some water vapour. The age is estimated at over four thousand million years. Distance from sun: 149.6 million km; equatorial diameter: 12 756 km; mass: 5.976 × 10 24kg; sidereal period of axial rotation: 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds; sidereal period of revolution about sun: 365.256 days terrestrialtelluriantelluricterrene
  2. the inhabitants of this planet

    the whole earth rejoiced

  3. the dry surface of this planet as distinguished from sea or sky; land; ground
  4. the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the surface of the ground and consists of disintegrated rock particles, mould, clay, etc; soil
  5. worldly or temporal matters as opposed to the concerns of the spirit
  6. the hole in which some species of burrowing animals, esp foxes, live
    1. a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potential
    2. a terminal to which this connection is made US and Canadian equivalentground
  7. Also calledearth colour any of various brown pigments composed chiefly of iron oxides
  8. modifier astrology of or relating to a group of three signs of the zodiac, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn Compare air fire water
  9. cost the earth informal.
    to be very expensive
  10. come back to earth or come down to earth
    to return to reality from a fantasy or daydream
  11. on earth
    used as an intensifier in such phrases as what on earth , who on earth , etc
  12. run to earth
    1. to hunt (an animal, esp a fox) to its earth and trap it there
    2. to find (someone) after searching
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. intr (of a hunted fox) to go to ground
  2. tr to connect (a circuit, device, etc) to earth
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Earth

  1. The planet on which we live — the third planet from the sun .
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Notes

It consists of an inner core made of iron and nickel, an outer core of liquid metal, a mantle , and, on the outside, a crust .
On the Earth's surface, the oceans and the continents form the stage on which the evolution of life takes place. The atmosphere above the surface circulates, producing the daily weather .
The Earth was formed at the same time as the sun, about 4.6 billion years ago.
The surface of the solid Earth is in a state of constant change as the rock is moved around by the processes of plate tectonics .
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Word History and Origins

Origin of earth1

First recorded before 950; Middle English erthe, Old English eorthe; cognate with German Erde, Dutch aarde, Old Norse jǫrth, Danish jord, Gothic airtha
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Word History and Origins

Origin of earth1

Old English eorthe; related to Old Norse jorth, Old High German ertha, Gothic airtha, Greek erā
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. on earth, in the world:

    Where on earth have you been?

  2. run to earth,
    1. Hunting. to chase (an animal) into its hole or burrow:

      to run a fox to earth.

    2. to search out; track down:

      They ran the fugitive to earth in Algiers.

  3. move heaven and earth. heaven ( def 8 ).

More idioms and phrases containing earth

see down to earth ; ends of the earth ; four corners of the earth ; move heaven and earth ; not have an earthly chance ; on earth ; run to earth ; salt of the earth .
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Synonym Study

Earth, globe, world are terms applied to the planet on which we dwell. Earth is used especially in speaking of a condition of existence contrasted with that in heaven or hell: those who are yet on earth. Globe formerly emphasized merely the roundness of the earth: to circumnavigate the globe. It is now used more like world, with especial application to the inhabitants of the earth and their activities, interests, and concerns. In this sense, both globe and world are more inclusive than earth and are used more abstractly: the politics of the globe; the future of the world; One World.
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Example Sentences

Another piece of evidence uncovered by the BBC Verify investigation is the appearance of freshly-dug earth mounds in the town cemetery.

From BBC

"Syria has become the biggest producer of Captagon on earth," he said.

From BBC

Bitcoin, riding record highs following Donald Trumpov's embrace of the digital cryptocurrency, came back down to earth after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank is not looking to hold it.

From Salon

“I know it’s not a good thing right now, right? You know what I’m saying, but at some point before he leaves this earth, he gonna want to see that woman.”

But had the three climbers, who ascended a trail called the Devil’s Backbone for its narrow ridge with spine-tingling drops on either side, seen any scorched earth or trees along the way?

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More About Earth

What does earth mean?

Earth with a capital E refers to the third planet from our sun, as in Mars fascinates me, but Earth will always be my home.

Lowercased, earth most often refers to the surface material of our planet, including rock, soil, and dirt, as in The bulldozer moved so much earth out of the building lot that if I jumped in the hole, I couldn’t get out again.

Earth can also refer to the entire human population, representing the Earth as a planet of people, rather than a giant rock floating in space, as in The whole earth was worried about COVID-19.

Example: Earth revolves around the sun about every 365 days.

Where does earth come from?

The first records of the term earth come from before 950. It comes from the Old English eorthe.

The Earth we live on and the earth we stand on are so much a part of our lives that it’s no wonder we have so many senses of this word. In chemistry, earth refers to some metallic oxides that are hard to reduce, such as alumina and zirconia. In hunting, earth is an animal’s den that is low to the ground. In the fine arts, earth can be a color that tends to be a brown hue. And if a food has an earthy smell, it will smell of moist dirt, such as potatoes and carrots sometimes do.

You’ll see earth used in figurative senses, too. If your friend “moves heaven and earth” to get tickets for the big concert, they are making a huge effort to get those tickets. If your mother asks you, “Where on earth have you been?” she is using earth to emphasize her question about your location. If someone says you’re a “down to earth” person, they mean that you’re practical and realistic. And if you hear news that is “earth-shattering,” the news is shocking or traumatic.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to earth?

What are some synonyms for earth?

What are some words that share a root or word element with earth? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing earth?

How is earth used in real life?

Earth is a common word used to talk about the planet we live on or its surface.

 

 

Try using earth!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for earth?

A. clay
B. dirt
C. soil
D. wind

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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