earl
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/ ɜrl /
noun
a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called count for a time after the Norman conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a governor of one of the great divisions of England, including East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex.
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Origin of earl
before 900; Middle English erl,Old English eorl; cognate with Old Saxon erl man, Old Norse jarl chieftain
Definition for earl (2 of 2)
Earl
or Earle
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/ ɜrl /
noun
a male given name: from the old English word meaning “noble.”
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for earl
British Dictionary definitions for earl
earl
/ (ɜːl) /
noun
(in the British Isles) a nobleman ranking below a marquess and above a viscountFemale equivalent: countess
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a royal governor of any of the large divisions of the kingdom, such as Wessex
Word Origin for earl
Old English eorl; related to Old Norse jarl chieftain, Old Saxon erl man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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