earth

noun

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\ ˈərth

Definition of earth

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

3a : 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

5a : 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 thereal suede, which costs the earth to clean— Joanne Winship

on earth

—used as an intensiveto find out what on earth he was up to— Michael Holroyd

earth

verb

earthed; earthing; earths

Definition of earth (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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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: 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, "How to Be More Spiritual in 2020," 14 Jan. 2020 The outer cylinder is earthed while the inner one is not, creating a capacitor. — The Economist, "How to wring power from the night air," 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, "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.