EARTH

(PLANET) [noun] [U] - the planet third in order of distance from the Sun, between Venus and Mars; the world on which we live The Earth takes approximately 365¼ days to go round the Sun.Earth looks incredibly beautiful from space.Blunkett's Circus is the greatest show on earth (= in the world).See picture: PlanetsIf you are brought back/down/back down to earth or you come back/down/back down to earth you suddenly stop thinking about pleasant but probably impossible things and are aware instead of the practical or unpleasant facts of real life.The realization of how little work I'd done for the exams brought me abruptly back down to earth.If something or someone is/looks/sounds/tastes like nothing (else) on earth, it seems very strange, unusual or unpleasant.With the black make-up and strange clothes he looked like nothing on earth.(informal) On earth is used after the question words how, what, when, where, who and why to suggest that the expected answer is extreme, unlikely or unpleasant.How on earth did this happen?What on earth is that terrible noise?The earth means a lot of money.What a beautiful coat! It must have cost (you) the earth!I paid the earth for this leather bag.They charged me the earth for a cup of coffee.(informal) If someone says the earth moved or asks did the earth move for you? they are joking about how good or special a sexual experience was.(informal) If you describe a woman as an earth mother you mean she seems full of emotional and spiritual awareness, and seems particularly suited to having and loving children.An earth science is one of several sciences, such as geology, which deals with the structure, age, etc. of the Earth.If you describe something as earth-shattering or earth-shaking, you mean that it is extremely important or very surprising.an earth-shattering discovery