earth

1 of 2

noun

1
: the fragmental material composing part of the surface of the globe
especially : cultivable soil
2
: the sphere of mortal life as distinguished from spheres of spirit life compare heaven, hell
3
a
: areas of land as distinguished from sea and air
b
: the solid footing formed of soil : ground
4
often capitalized : the planet on which we live that is third in order from the sun see Planets Table
5
a
: the people of the planet Earth
b
: the mortal human body
c
: the pursuits, interests, and pleasures of earthly life as distinguished from spiritual concerns
6
: the lair of a burrowing animal
7
: an excessive amount of money
used with the
real suede, which costs the earth to cleanJoanne Winship
earthlike adjective

earth

2 of 2

verb

earthed; earthing; earths

transitive verb

1
: to drive to hiding in the earth
2
: to draw soil about (plants)
often used with up
3
chiefly British : ground sense 4

intransitive verb

of a hunted animal : to hide in the ground
Phrases
on earth
used as an intensive
to find out what on earth he was up toMichael Holroyd

Examples of earth in a Sentence

Noun The moisture will eventually fall to earth in the form of rain or snow. We could feel the earth shake.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Every molecule of plastic that has ever been created still exists somewhere on earth. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Capricorn: December 22 – January 19 Out of all the earth signs, Capricorns have been awarded the reputation as the most Type A: plans, plans, and more plans! Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024 The three-dimensional-appearing watch spotlights a lacquered blue dial with the continents of the earth crafted in rose gold. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The awe-inspiring sight—which occurs when electrically charged solar particles interact with gasses in the earth’s atmosphere—is best enjoyed in rural areas where little light pollution allows aurora to shine its brightest. Paul Rubio, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2024 Soil temperatures need to be between 50-60 degrees, and the earth can’t be too wet or too dry. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 The video does everything to reinforce the notion that Buffett lived and loved every moment to the fullest in his 76 years on earth. Melinda Newman, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2024 Some wondered how on earth the car flipped all the way on its side. Brooke Baitinger, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Douglas Worple and his wife Becca run the Golden Dog Farm and have been hosting the Golden Retriever Experience since September 2023 Douglas (Doug) Worple and his wife Becca have managed to create a bit of heaven on earth at their Golden Dog Farm. Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Step into nature, hike, perhaps try earthing (which is a practice of removing your shoes and walking on the earth to help rid you of stresses or clear your mind). Krystyna Chávez, Marie Claire, 14 Jan. 2020 The outer cylinder is earthed while the inner one is not, creating a capacitor. The Economist, 1 Aug. 2019 Practitioner John Manning will discuss earthing on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Enfield Public Library, 104 Middle Road. Courant Community, 9 Jan. 2018 When the aerial is earthed, part of the carrier wave will be absorbed. The Economist, 13 Sep. 2017 But Truth in Advertising, a consumer advocacy group, cited earthing in a database of 50-some instances in which Goop promoted unsubstantiated products or claims. Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2017 Inside, the château is an equal marvel, perfectly restored and filled with contemporary art and, for balance, fragments of a meteorite that fell to earth 200 million years ago. Jon Maksik, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'earth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English erthe, from Old English eorthe; akin to Old High German erda earth, Greek era

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1575, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of earth was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near earth

Cite this Entry

“Earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

earth

noun
ˈərth
1
: the soft or granular material composing part of the surface of the globe
especially : soil that can be cultivated
2
: the place of mortal life as distinguished from heaven and hell
3
: land as distinguished from sea and air : ground
4
often capitalized : the planet on which we live see planet

More from Merriam-Webster on earth

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