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definitions

earn

1
[ urn ]
/ ɜrn /
||

verb (used with object)

to gain or get in return for one's labor or service: to earn one's living.
to merit as compensation, as for service; deserve: to receive more than one has earned.
to acquire through merit: to earn a reputation for honesty.
to gain as due return or profit: Savings accounts earn interest.
to bring about or cause deservedly: His fair dealing earned our confidence.

verb (used without object)

to gain income: securities that earn on a quarterly basis.

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Nearby words

  1. early-type star,
  2. early-warning system,
  3. earmark,
  4. earmuff,
  5. earmuffs,
  6. earn one's keep,
  7. earn one's stripes,
  8. earn, loch,
  9. earned income,
  10. earned run

Origin of earn

1
before 900; Middle English ern(i)en, Old English earnian; akin to Old High German arnēn to earn, harvest
SYNONYMS FOR earn
1. procure, make, receive, obtain. See gain1.
Related formsearn·er, noun
Can be confusedearn urn
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for earner

British Dictionary definitions for earner

earner

/ (ˈɜːnə) /

noun

a person who earns money
British and Australian informal an activity or thing that produces income, esp illicitlya nice little earner

earn

/ (ɜːn) /

verb

to gain or be paid (money or other payment) in return for work or service
(tr) to acquire, merit, or deserve through behaviour or actionhe has earned a name for duplicity
(tr) (of securities, investments, etc) to gain (interest, return, profit, etc)

Word Origin for earn

Old English earnian; related to Old High German arnēn to reap, Old Saxon asna salary, tithe
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for earner
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with earner

earn

In addition to the idioms beginning with earn

  • earn one's keep
  • earn one's stripes

also see:

  • penny saved is a penny earned
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.