earth

1 of 2

noun

1
: the fragmental material composing part of the surface of the globe
especially : cultivable soil
2
: the sphere of mortal life as distinguished from spheres of spirit life compare heaven, hell
3
a
: areas of land as distinguished from sea and air
b
: the solid footing formed of soil : ground
4
often capitalized : the planet on which we live that is third in order from the sun see Planets Table
5
a
: the people of the planet Earth
b
: the mortal human body
c
: the pursuits, interests, and pleasures of earthly life as distinguished from spiritual concerns
6
: the lair of a burrowing animal
7
: an excessive amount of money
used with the
real suede, which costs the earth to cleanJoanne Winship
earthlike adjective

earth

2 of 2

verb

earthed; earthing; earths

transitive verb

1
: to drive to hiding in the earth
2
: to draw soil about (plants)
often used with up
3
chiefly British : ground sense 4

intransitive verb

of a hunted animal : to hide in the ground
Phrases
on earth
used as an intensive
to find out what on earth he was up toMichael Holroyd

Examples of earth in a Sentence

Noun The moisture will eventually fall to earth in the form of rain or snow. We could feel the earth shake.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
According to the Weather Channel, this happens every year as the earth's tilt moves the Northern Hemisphere farther from the sun, carrying anything in the Arctic Circle out of the sun's line of sight. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 The idea that any of God’s creatures could just vanish from the earth was simply unthinkable. Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
Step into nature, hike, perhaps try earthing (which is a practice of removing your shoes and walking on the earth to help rid you of stresses or clear your mind). Krystyna Chávez, Marie Claire, 14 Jan. 2020 The outer cylinder is earthed while the inner one is not, creating a capacitor. The Economist, 1 Aug. 2019 See all Example Sentences for earth 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English erthe, from Old English eorthe; akin to Old High German erda earth, Greek era

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1575, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of earth was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near earth

Cite this Entry

“Earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earth. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

earth

noun
ˈərth
1
: the soft or granular material composing part of the surface of the globe
especially : soil that can be cultivated
2
: the place of mortal life as distinguished from heaven and hell
3
: land as distinguished from sea and air : ground
4
often capitalized : the planet on which we live see planet

More from Merriam-Webster on earth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!