earth

noun \ ˈərth \

Examples: earth in a Sentence

Definition of earth

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 clean
—Joanne Winship

—

earthlike

play \ˈərth-ˌlīk\ adjective

— on earth

—used as an intensive

to find out what on earth he was up to
—Michael Holroyd

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Examples of earth in a Sentence

The moisture will eventually fall to earth in the form of rain or snow.
We could feel the earth shake.

Origin and Etymology of earth

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

earth Synonyms

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth, windfall

earth

verb

Definition of earth

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 3

intransitive verb

of a hunted animal : to hide in the ground

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Recent Examples of earth from the Web

Practitioner John Manning will discuss earthing on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Enfield Public Library, 104 Middle Road.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Enfield Edition," 9 Jan. 2018
When the aerial is earthed, part of the carrier wave will be absorbed.

— The Economist, "Wireless dataA clever way to transmit data on the cheap," 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, "In Goop We Trust?," 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, "Domaine des Etangs: A Memorable Stay at a French Château," 20 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'earth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.