| earl (ûrl) n. 1. A British nobleman next in rank above a viscount and below a marquis, corresponding to a count in continental Europe. 2. Abbr. E. Used as a title for such a nobleman. [Middle English erl, nobleman of high rank, from Old English eorl.] |
earl [ɜːl]
n
1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in the British Isles) a nobleman ranking below a marquess and above a viscount Female equivalent countess
2. (Historical Terms) (in Anglo-Saxon England) a royal governor of any of the large divisions of the kingdom, such as Wessex
[Old English eorl; related to Old Norse jarl chieftain, Old Saxon erl man]
earl (ɜrl)
n.
a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called a count for a time after the Norman Conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.
[before 900; Middle English erl, Old English eorl; c. Old Saxon, Old High German erl man, Old Norse jarl chieftain]
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  earl - a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscountpeer - a nobleman (duke or marquis or earl or viscount or baron) who is a member of the British peerage |
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