EARTH


Meaning of EARTH in English

I. ˈərth, ˈə̄th, ˈəith noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English erthe, from Old English eorthe; akin to Old High German erda earth, Old Norse jörth, Gothic airtha, Old High German ero earth, Greek eraze to earth, Welsh erw acre

1.

a. : the fragmental material composing part of the surface of the globe : soil , ground

give him a little earth for charity — Shakespeare

— usually distinguished from bedrock

b. : soil for cultivating

good earth in a sheltered valley

a clayey earth difficult to drain

c. : one of the four elements of the alchemists

2. : the sphere of mortal life comprising the world with its lands and seas as distinguished from spheres of spirit life — compare heaven , hell

3.

a. : areas of land uncovered by water

b. : the solid footing formed of earth

good to feel the earth under his feet again

c. : the solid materials that make up the physical globe

4. archaic : a particular region of the world : country , land

would I had never trod this English earth — Shakespeare

5. often capitalized : the planet upon which we live and which being about 93 million miles from the sun is the third in order of distance from the sun and which having a diameter at the equator of 7927 miles is the fifth in size among the planets

6.

a. : the people of the planet earth

b. : the mortal body of man — distinguished from soul, spirit

c. : the pursuits, interests, and allurements of earthly life : worldly as distinguished from spiritual concerns

7. : the burrow of a burrowing animal

8.

a. : a difficultly reducible metallic oxide (as alumina, zirconium oxide, yttrium oxide) formerly classed as an element — see alkaline earth , rare earth

b. : earth color

red earth

c. : a clay or substance resembling clay used chiefly as an adsorbent

active earths

— see bleaching clay , fuller's earth

9. chiefly Britain : ground 7

- on earth

II. verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English erthen, from erthe, n. — more at earth I

transitive verb

1. now dialect Britain : bury , inter

2. : to hide (as oneself) or cause to hide (as an animal) in the earth or in a burrow or den

3. : to draw soil about (plants) : cultivate so as to throw soil toward (as a row crop) : bank , ridge — often used with up

potatoes should be earthed up before blooming

soil should be kept out of the heart when earthing celery

4. chiefly Britain : ground vt 6

intransitive verb

: to hide in the ground (as in an earth or den) : go to ground — used especially of a hunted animal

III. “, ˈi(ə)rth, ˈiəth noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English erth, erthe, from Old English earth, yrth, from erian to plow — more at ear II

now dialect Britain : an act of plowing : a stirring or tilling of soil in preparation for planting

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.