Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
Earth or the Earth is the planet on which we live. People usually say Earth when they are referring to the planet as part of the universe, and the Earth when they are talking about the planet as the place where we live.
The space shuttle Atlantis returned safely to ~ today.
...a fault in the Earth’s crust.
N-PROPER: oft the N
2.
The ~ is the land surface on which we live and move about.
The ~ shook and the walls of neighbouring houses fell around them.
= ground
N-SING: the N
3.
Earth is the substance on the land surface of the ~, for example clay or sand, in which plants grow.
The road winds for miles through parched ~, scrub and cactus...
= soil
N-UNCOUNT
4.
The ~ in an electric plug or piece of electrical equipment is the wire through which electricity can pass into the ground, which makes the equipment safe if something goes wrong with it. (BRIT; in AM, use ground )
The ~ wire was not connected.
N-SING
~ed
Light fittings with metal parts should always be ~ed.
ADJ: usu v-link ADJ
5.
see also down-to-~
6.
On ~ is used for emphasis in questions that begin with words such as ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘what’, or ‘where’. It is often used to suggest that there is no obvious or easy answer to the question being asked.
How on ~ did that happen?...
What on ~ had Luke done?...
PHRASE: quest PHR emphasis
7.
On ~ is used for emphasis after some negative noun groups, for example ‘no reason’.
There was no reason on ~ why she couldn’t have moved in with us...
There is no feeling on ~ like winning for the first time.
PHRASE: with neg, n PHR emphasis
8.
On ~ is used for emphasis after a noun group that contains a superlative adjective.
He wanted to be the fastest man on ~.
= in the world
PHRASE: adj-superl n PHR emphasis
9.
If you come down to ~ or back to ~, you have to face the reality of everyday life after a period of great excitement.
When he came down to ~ after his win he admitted: ‘It was an amazing feeling’...
PHRASE: PHR after v
10.
If you say that something cost the ~ or that you paid the ~ for it, you are emphasizing that it cost a very large amount of money. (INFORMAL)
It must have cost the ~.
PHRASE: V inflects emphasis
11.
hell on ~: see hell