earth (ûrth)n.1. a. The land surface of the world. b. The softer, friable part of land; soil, especially productive soil. 2. often Earth The third planet from the sun, having a sidereal period of revolution about the sun of 365.26 days at a mean distance of approximately 149 million kilometers (92.96 million miles), an axial rotation period of 23 hours 56.07 minutes, an average radius of 6,378 kilometers (3,963 miles), and a mass of approximately 5.974 × 1024 kilograms (1.317 × 1025 pounds). 3. The realm of mortal existence; the temporal world. 4. The human inhabitants of the world: The earth received the news with joy. 5. a. Worldly affairs and pursuits. b. Everyday life; reality: was brought back to earth from his daydreams of wealth and fame. 6. The substance of the human body; clay. 7. The lair of a burrowing animal. 8. Chiefly British The ground of an electrical circuit. 9. Chemistry Any of several metallic oxides, such as alumina or zirconia, that are difficult to reduce and were formerly regarded as elements. v. earthed, earth·ing, earths v.tr.1. To cover or heap (plants) with soil for protection. 2. To chase (an animal) into an underground hiding place. v.intr. To burrow or hide in the ground. Used of a hunted animal. Idiom: on earth Among all the possibilities: Why on earth did you put on that outfit?
[Middle English erthe, from Old English eorthe; see er-2 in Indo-European roots.] | earth cutaway of earth |
earth Noun
1. (
sometimes cap) the planet that we live on, the third planet from the sun, the only one on which life is known to exist Related adjective
terrestrial 2. the part of the surface of this planet that is not water
3. the soil in which plants grow
4. the hole in which a fox lives
5. a wire in a piece of electrical equipment through which electricity can escape into the ground if a fault develops
6. come down to earth to return to reality from a daydream or fantasy
7. on earth used for emphasis: what on earth happened?
Verb
to fit (a piece of electrical equipment) with an earth [Old English eorthe]
Earth (ûrth)1. The third planet from the Sun and the densest planet in the solar system. Earth is a terrestrial or inner planet consisting of a thin outer crust, an intermediate mantle, and a dense inner core. It has an atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen and is the only planet on which water in liquid form exists, covering more than 70 percent of its surface. It is also the only planet on which life is known to have evolved, occupying the relatively thin region of water, land, and air known as the biosphere. Earth has a single, relatively large natural satellite, the Moon. See more at atmospherecorecrustmantle See Table at solar system. 2. earth |
Earththat part of the earth’s surface where most forms of life exist, specifically those parts where there is water or atmosphere.
having to do with the underworld.
a hollow glass globe for depicting the position of the earth in relation to the fixed stars at a given time.
the process of movement that causes the earth’s crust to form continents, mountains, oceans, etc. — diastrophe, n. — diastrophic, adj.
the vertical movement or tilting of the earth’s crust, affecting broad expanses of continents. — epeirogenic, epeirogenetic, adj.
the branch of geology that describes the past in terms of geologic rather than human time. — geochronologist, n. — geochronologic, geochronological, adj.
the science of the forces at work within the earth. — geodynamic, adj.
a theory or science about the formation of the earth. — geogonic, adj.
Rare. worship of the things of the earth or of the earth itself.
the science that studies the physical history of the earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the changes the earth has undergone and is undergoing. — geologist. n. — geologic, geological, adj.
the tendency of organisms, under the influence of gravity, to be symmetrical. — geomalic, adj.
a form of divination that analyzes the pattern of a handful of earth thrown down at random or dots made at random on paper. — geomancer, n.
the branch of geology that studies the form of the earth’s surface. — geomorphologist, n. — geomorphologic, geomorphological, adj.
the eating of earthy matter, especially clay or chalk. — geophagist, n. — geophagous, adj.
a large globe or sphere in which a spectator can stand and view a representation of the earth’s surface.
an instrument for measuring the inclination or dip of the earth’s magnetic force.
the science of explaining the minerals of which the earth is composed, their origins, and the cause of their form and arrangement.
the solid part of the earth, as contrasted with the atmosphere and hydrosphere.
the periodic oscillation that can be observed in the precession of the earth’s axis and the precession of the equinoxes. See also
head. —
nutational,
adj.
the inclination of the earth’s equator or the angle between the plane of the earth’s orbit and the plane of the equator (23°27″). See also
astronomy. Also called
obliquity of the ecliptic. —
obliquitous,
adj.
the formation of a flat or level surface by the process of erosion.
Rare a person who believes that the earth is round.
a dweller on the earth. Also tellurian.
Earth all people on the globe, 1549; a group of foxes, 1575.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  earth - the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on; "the Earth moves around the sun"; "he sailed around the world"atmosphere, air - the mass of air surrounding the Earth; "there was great heat as the comet entered the atmosphere"; "it was exposed to the air" Van Allen belt - a belt of charged particles (resulting from cosmic rays) above the Earth trapped by the Earth's magnetic field hydrosphere - the watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor dry land, ground, solid ground, terra firma, earth, land - the solid part of the earth's surface; "the plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land"; "the earth shook for several minutes"; "he dropped the logs on the ground" sky - the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth solar system - the sun with the celestial bodies that revolve around it in its gravitational field |
| 2. | earth - the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface; "they dug into the earth outside the church"moraine - accumulated earth and stones deposited by a glacier material, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread" saprolite - a deposit of clay and disintegrating rock that is found in its original place dirt, soil - the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock |
| 3. |  earth - the solid part of the earth's surface; "the plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land"; "the earth shook for several minutes"; "he dropped the logs on the ground"object, physical object - a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow; "it was full of rackets, balls and other objects" archipelago - a group of many islands in a large body of water beachfront - a strip of land running along a beach cape, ness - a strip of land projecting into a body of water earth, globe, world - the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on; "the Earth moves around the sun"; "he sailed around the world" floor - the ground on which people and animals move about; "the fire spared the forest floor" foreland - land forming the forward margin of something island - a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water isthmus - a relatively narrow strip of land (with water on both sides) connecting two larger land areas mainland - the main land mass of a country or continent; as distinguished from an island or peninsula neck - a narrow elongated projecting strip of land oxbow - the land inside an oxbow bend in a river peninsula - a large mass of land projecting into a body of water champaign, plain, field - extensive tract of level open land; "they emerged from the woods onto a vast open plain"; "he longed for the fields of his youth" slash - an open tract of land in a forest that is strewn with debris from logging (or fire or wind) wonderland - a place or scene of great or strange beauty or wonder |
| 4. | earth - the abode of mortals (as contrasted with Heaven or Hell); "it was hell on earth" |
| 5. | earth - once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)element - one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe; "the alchemists believed that there were four elements" |
| 6. | earth - the concerns of this life as distinguished from heaven and the afterlife; "they consider the church to be independent of the world"concern - something that interests you because it is important or affects you; "the safety of the ship is the captain's concern" |
| 7. | earth - a connection between an electrical device and a large conducting body, such as the earth (which is taken to be at zero voltage)electricity - a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons |
| Verb | 1. | earth - hide in the earth like a hunted animalhide out, hide - be or go into hiding; keep out of sight, as for protection and safety; "Probably his horse would be close to where he was hiding"; "She is hiding out in a cabin in Montana" |
| 2. | earth - connect to the earth; "earth the circuit"ground - connect to a ground; "ground the electrical connections for safety reasons" |
earth noun 3.
soil,
ground,
land,
dust,
mould,
clay,
dirt,
turf,
sod,
silt,
topsoil,
clod,
loam >>
adjectives terrestrial
Translations
earth [əːθ] n (
gen) →
tierra;
earth [əːθ] n (
gen), (
also) (
Brit) (
Elec) →
terre f [
of fox etc];
terrier m
earth [əːθ] n →
Erde f;
earth [əːθ] n (
gen) (
also BRIT) (
ELEC) →
terra; [
of fox etc] →
tana
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