earth
English meaning: Earth
Definition
The planet on which we live; also the ground or soil beneath us.
Example
“From space, the earth looks like a beautiful blue marble swirled with white clouds.”
Another example: “After the rain, she pressed the seeds gently into the damp earth.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A core everyday noun. When it means the planet it is often capitalised ('Earth'); when it means soil or the ground it is lowercase. Also common in idioms like 'down to earth' and 'cost the earth'.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old English 'eorthe', the ground or soil, of Germanic origin.
Related Words
Common Collocations
- planet earth
- down to earth
- the earth's surface
- scorched earth
- cost the earth
Word Forms
earth (n); earthly (adj); earthy (adj)
Word Tools
Tools & Calculators
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
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