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
7. chem See rare earth alkaline earth
8. 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
9. Also calledearth colour any of various brown pigments composed chiefly of iron oxides
10. modifier astrology of or relating to a group of three signs of the zodiac, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn Compare air fire water
11. cost the earth informal.
    to be very expensive
12. come back to earth or come down to earth
    to return to reality from a fantasy or daydream
13. on earth
    used as an intensifier in such phrases as what on earth , who on earth , etc
14. run to earth
    1. to hunt (an animal, esp a fox) to its earth and trap it there
    2. to find (someone) after searching

verb

1. intr (of a hunted fox) to go to ground
2. tr to connect (a circuit, device, etc) to earth

Earth

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

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 .

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of earth¹

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

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 .

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.

Example Sentences

“He was a great character… he was incredibly down to earth,” she said.

From BBC

He is Dave Roberts, and there’s very few managers walking this earth who could have matched his deft handling of all the October bullpen games and injuries and intrigue.

From Los Angeles Times

"The earth's atmosphere contains an abundance of untapped fresh water, but we desperately need materials that can efficiently capture and collect this humidity and condense it into potable water," said Naumov.

From Science Daily

The uncrewed spacecraft was sent on its way to a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, while the booster returned to earth less than seven minutes later.

From Los Angeles Times

On Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the economy is strong enough that policymakers don't need to be "in a hurry" to lower rates, bringing investors down to earth from the post-election high.

From Salon

Related Words

• clay
• coast
• dirt
• dust
• gravel
• land
• mud
• sand
• shore
• surface
• terrain
• turf

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?

• earthling (noun)
• earthly (adverb)
• earthwards (adverb)
• earthen (adjective)

What are some synonyms for earth?

• ground
• soil
• clay
• terrain
• globe
• world

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

• earthborn
• earthenware
• earthmover
• earthquake

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

• axis
• humans
• planet
• space
• sun

How is earth used in real life?

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

Never let a soul on this earth make you feel like you aren’t enough.

— Unkonfined (@unkonfined) June 5, 2020

i paid off my car and my credit score went down, these things are the biggest scam on earth

— Natalie Weiner (@natalieweiner) August 13, 2020

California is the only U.S. state to have a chemical element named after it.

"Californium" is a radioactive rare earth metal and a biological hazard.

— UberFacts (@UberFacts) April 16, 2020

 

 

Try using earth!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for earth?

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