Definitions for: Earth


[n] a connection between an electrical device and the earth (which is a zero voltage)
[n] the concerns of the world as distinguished from heaven and the afterlife; "they consider the church to be independent of the world"
[n] the abode of mortals (as contrasted with heaven or hell); "it was hell on earth"
[n] the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet on which we live; "the Earth moves around the sun"; "he sailed around the world"
[n] 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"
[n] the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface; "they dug into the earth outside the church"
[n] (archaic) once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)
[v] connect to the earth, as of a circuit
[v] hide in the earth, as of a hunted fox



Webster (1913) Definition: Earth, n. [AS. eor?e; akin to OS. ertha, OFries. irthe,
D. aarde, OHG. erda, G. erde, Icel. j["o]r?, Sw. & Dan. jord,
Goth. a[=i]rpa, OHG. ero, Gr. ?, adv., to earth, and perh. to
E. ear to plow.]
1. The globe or planet which we inhabit; the world, in
distinction from the sun, moon, or stars. Also, this world
as the dwelling place of mortals, in distinction from the
dwelling place of spirits.

That law preserves the earth a sphere And guides the
planets in their course. --S. Rogers.

In heaven, or earth, or under earth, in hell.
--Milton.

2. The solid materials which make up the globe, in
distinction from the air or water; the dry land.

God called the dry land earth. --Gen. i. 10.

He is pure air and fire, and the dull elements of
earth and water never appear in him. --Shak.

3. The softer inorganic matter composing part of the surface
of the globe, in distinction from the firm rock; soil of
all kinds, including gravel, clay, loam, and the like;
sometimes, soil favorable to the growth of plants; the
visible surface of the globe; the ground; as, loose earth;
rich earth.

Give him a little earth for charity. --Shak.

4. A part of this globe; a region; a country; land.

Would I had never trod this English earth. --Shak.

5. Worldly things, as opposed to spiritual things; the
pursuits, interests, and allurements of this life.

Our weary souls by earth beguiled. --Keble.

6. The people on the globe.

The whole earth was of one language. --Gen. xi. 1.

7. (Chem.)
(a) Any earthy-looking metallic oxide, as alumina,
glucina, zirconia, yttria, and thoria.
(b) A similar oxide, having a slight alkaline reaction, as
lime, magnesia, strontia, baryta.

8. A hole in the ground, where an animal hides himself; as,
the earth of a fox. --Macaulay.

They [ferrets] course the poor conies out of their
earths. --Holland.

Note: Earth is used either adjectively or in combination to
form compound words; as, earth apple or earth-apple;
earth metal or earth-metal; earth closet or
earth-closet.

Adamic earth, Bitter earth, Bog earth, Chian earth,
etc. See under Adamic, Bitter, etc.

Alkaline earths. See under Alkaline.

Earth apple. (Bot.)
(a) A potato.
(b) A cucumber.

Earth auger, a form of auger for boring into the ground; --
called also earth borer.

Earth bath, a bath taken by immersing the naked body in
earth for healing purposes.

Earth battery (Physics), a voltaic battery the elements of
which are buried in the earth to be acted on by its
moisture.

Earth chestnut, the pignut.

Earth closet, a privy or commode provided with dry earth or
a similar substance for covering and deodorizing the
f[ae]cal discharges.

Earth dog (Zo["o]l.), a dog that will dig in the earth, or
enter holes of foxes, etc.

Earth hog, Earth pig (Zo["o]l.), the aard-vark.

Earth hunger, an intense desire to own land, or, in the
case of nations, to extend their domain.

Earth light (Astron.), the light reflected by the earth, as
upon the moon, and corresponding to moonlight; -- called
also earth shine. --Sir J. Herschel.

Earth metal. See 1st Earth, 7. (Chem.)

Earth oil, petroleum.

Earth pillars or pyramids (Geol.), high pillars or
pyramids of earth, sometimes capped with a single stone,
found in Switzerland. --Lyell.

Earth pitch (Min.), mineral tar, a kind of asphaltum.

Earth quadrant, a fourth of the earth's circumference.

Earth table (Arch.), the lowest course of stones visible in
a building; the ground table.

On earth, an intensive expression, oftenest used in
questions and exclamations; as, What on earth shall I do?
Nothing on earth will satisfy him. [Colloq.]


Earth, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Earthed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Earthing.]
1. To hide, or cause to hide, in the earth; to chase into a
burrow or den. ``The fox is earthed.'' --Dryden.

2. To cover with earth or mold; to inter; to bury; --
sometimes with up.

The miser earths his treasure, and the thief,
Watching the mole, half beggars him ere noon.
--Young.

Why this in earthing up a carcass? --R. Blair.


Earth, v. i.
To burrow. --Tickell.


Earth, n. [From Ear to plow.]
A plowing. [Obs.]

Such land as ye break up for barley to sow, Two earths
at the least, ere ye sow it, bestow. --Tusser.


Earth, n. (Elec.)
The connection of any part an electric conductor with the
ground; specif., the connection of a telegraph line with the
ground through a fault or otherwise.

Note: When the resistance of the earth connection is low it
is termed a good earth.

Synonyms: earthly concern, globe, ground, ground, world, world, worldly concern

See Also: America, archipelago, atmosphere, beachfront, cape, champaign, coastal plain, concern, connecter, connection, connective, connector, connexion, diatomaceous earth, diatomite, dirt, dry land, earth, element, field, floor, foreland, forest, geosphere, ground, ground, hemisphere, hide, hills, hydrosphere, island, isthmus, kieselguhr, land, landmass, lithosphere, location, mainland, material, moraine, neck, ness, object, oxbow, peninsula, physical object, plain, saprolite, sky, slash, soil, solar system, solid ground, stuff, terra firma, terrestrial planet, the Americas, timber, timberland, Van Allen belt, wonderland, woodland

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