/ ɜːθ; NAmE ɜːrθ/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
(also Earth , the Earth ) [ U , sing. ] the world; the planet that we live on :
the planet Earth
the history of life on earth
the earth's ozone layer
The earth revolves around the sun.
I must be the happiest person on earth !
2.
[ U , sing. ] land; the hard surface of the world that is not the sea or the sky; the ground :
After a week at sea, it was good to feel the earth beneath our feet again.
You could feel the earth shake as the truck came closer.
➡ note at floor
3.
[ U ] the substance that plants grow in :
a clod / lump / mound of earth
➡ note at soil
4.
[ C ] the hole where an animal, especially a fox , lives
5.
( BrE ) ( NAmE ground ) [ C , usually sing. ] a wire that connects an electric circuit with the ground and makes it safe
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IDIOMS
- charge, cost, pay, etc. the earth
- come back / down to earth (with a bang / bump) | bring sb (back) down to earth (with a bang / bump)
- go to earth / ground
- how, why, where, who, etc. on earth
- be, feel, look, taste, etc. like nothing on earth
- on earth
- run sb/sth to earth / ground
—more at end noun , face noun , move verb , promise verb , salt noun , wipe verb
■ verb
( BrE ) ( NAmE ground ) [ vn ] [ usually passive ] to make electrical equipment safe by connecting it to the ground with a wire
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English eorthe , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch aarde and German Erde .