1
: the fragmental material composing part of the surface of the globe
especially
: cultivable soil
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 clean—
Joanne Winship
Joanne Winship
earthed; earthing; earths
1
: to drive to hiding in the earth
2
: to draw soil about (plants)
—often used with up
3
chiefly British
: ground sense 4
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 to—Michael Holroyd
Michael HolroydExamples 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
Cathrine Todd, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
After Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear reactor in 1981 and Syria’s in 2007, Iran decided to spread its nuclear program out over multiple sites, with its crucial elements hidden so deep beneath the earth that not even Israel’s 5,000-pound bunker busters could reach them.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for earth
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Noun
Intriguing nose of smoldering earth that is balanced by perfumed notes of violets and warm raspberries with juicy cassis flavors with a firmer structure than 2016 yet there is a graceful quality to the texture with a fierce minerality underneath the delectable fruit.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
After Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear reactor in 1981 and Syria’s in 2007, Iran decided to spread its nuclear program out over multiple sites, with its crucial elements hidden so deep beneath the earth that not even Israel’s 5,000-pound bunker busters could reach them.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for earth
Cite this Entry
“Earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earth. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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