(often initial capital letter) the planet third in order from the sun, having an equatorial diameter of 7,926 miles (12,755 km) and a polar diameter of 7,900 miles (12,714 km), a mean distance from the sun of 92.9 million miles (149.6 million km), and a period of revolution of 365.26 days, and having one satellite.
the inhabitants of this planet, especially the human inhabitants.
The whole earth rejoiced.
this planet as the habitation of humans, often in contrast to heaven and hell.
to create a hell on earth.
the surface of this planet.
to fall to earth.
the solid matter of this planet; dry land; ground.
soil and dirt, as distinguished from rock and sand; the softer part of the land.
the hole of a burrowing animal; lair.
Chemistry. any of several metallic oxides that are difficult to reduce, as alumina, zirconia, and yttria.
Also called earth color. Fine Arts. any of various pigments consisting chiefly of iron oxides and tending toward brown in hue.
Chiefly British Electronics. a ground.
Archaic. a land or country.
run to earth,
Hunting. to chase (an animal) into its hole or burrow.
to run a fox to earth.
to search out; track down.
They ran the fugitive to earth in Algiers.
move heaven and earth. heaven.
on earth, in the world.
Where on earth have you been?
(sometimes capital) the third planet from the sun, the only planet on which life is known to exist. It is not quite spherical, being flattened at the poles, and consists of three geological zones, the core, mantle, and thin outer crust. The surface, covered with large areas of water, is enveloped by an atmosphere principally of nitrogen (78 per cent), oxygen (21 per cent), and some water vapour. The age is estimated at over four thousand million years. Distance from sun: 149.6 million km; equatorial diameter: 12 756 km; mass: 5.976 × 10 24 kg; sidereal period of axial rotation: 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds; sidereal period of revolution about sun: 365.256 days
the inhabitants of this planet
the whole earth rejoiced
the dry surface of this planet as distinguished from sea or sky; land; ground
the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the surface of the ground and consists of disintegrated rock particles, mould, clay, etc; soil
worldly or temporal matters as opposed to the concerns of the spirit
the hole in which some species of burrowing animals, esp foxes, live
chem See rare earth alkaline earth
a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potential
US and Canadian equivalent: ground. a terminal to which this connection is made
Also called: earth colour. any of various brown pigments composed chiefly of iron oxides
(modifier) astrology of or relating to a group of three signs of the zodiac, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn Compare air fire water
informal to be very expensive
to return to reality from a fantasy or daydream
used as an intensifier in such phrases as what on earth , who on earth , etc
to hunt (an animal, esp a fox) to its earth and trap it there
to find (someone) after searching
(intr) (of a hunted fox) to go to ground
(tr) to connect (a circuit, device, etc) to earth
What does earth mean? Earth with a capital E refers to the third planet from our sun, as in Mars fascinates me, but Earth will always be my home. Lowercased, earth most often refers to the surface material of our planet, including rock, soil, and dirt, as in The bulldozer moved so much earth out of the building lot that if I jumped in the hole, I couldn’t get out again. Earth can also refer to the entire human population, representing the Earth as a planet of people, rather than a giant rock floating in space, as in The whole earth was worried about COVID-19. Example: Earth revolves around the sun about every 365 days.
Earth, globe, world are terms applied to the planet on which we dwell. Earth is used especially in speaking of a condition of existence contrasted with that in heaven or hell: those who are yet on earth. Globe formerly emphasized merely the roundness of the earth: to circumnavigate the globe. It is now used more like world, with especial application to the inhabitants of the earth and their activities, interests, and concerns. In this sense, both globe and world are more inclusive than earth and are used more abstractly: the politics of the globe; the future of the world; One World.
It consists of an inner core made of iron and nickel, an outer core of liquid metal, a mantle, and, on the outside, a crust.
On the Earth's surface, the oceans and the continents form the stage on which the evolution of life takes place. The atmosphere above the surface circulates, producing the daily weather.
The Earth was formed at the same time as the sun, about 4.6 billion years ago.
The surface of the solid Earth is in a state of constant change as the rock is moved around by the processes of plate tectonics.
First recorded before 950; Middle English erthe, Old English eorthe; cognate with German Erde, Dutch aarde, Old Norse jǫrth, Danish jord, Gothic airtha
Earth is our home planet, the third from the sun. Life on earth is possible because of its particular climate and the presence of water. Earth is the most familiar of the planets, being the one we live on. You can also use the word to talk about the earth you stand on — it's the non-liquid part of our planet, the solid ground. It's also another word for "dirt" or "soil." The Old English root, eorþe also had a double meaning, both "ground or soil" and "the material world" or "the abode of man," as opposed to the heavens.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The researchers deposited the material onto a foundation made of dysprosium scandate, a compound derived from rare earth elements.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026
"In 1936, a villager had a dream in which the Buddha came to him to ask to be freed from the earth, where he was suffocating," French project coordinator Sarah Coudry told AFP.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
If that cohort were a country, it would be the third-largest economy on earth, trailing only the U.S. and China.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
Ukrainian soldiers had used a hammer and chisel to break through the concrete in the middle and dug out a small shelter just big enough for two people in the earth beneath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
I shook my head and turned over the earth.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
These distant sources can also be difficult to distinguish from stars much closer to Earth.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2026
First Christmas, then Shakespeare, Britain, humans, Earth, then life itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2026
Each is approximately four times wider than Earth, and scientists believe their interiors contain substantial amounts of hydrogen, helium, water, ammonia, methane, and rocky material.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2026
SpaceX has successfully caught the top part of its huge Starship rocket on its return to Earth for the first time.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
Michael lifted the Waldenbooks bag from its half-forgotten spot on the floor and pulled Our Angry Earth out of it.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
The accord calmed tensions after a whirlwind of tariff hikes, and required China to buy US soybeans while suspending export controls on rare earths.
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026
Since a diplomatic dispute last year related to China's claim to Taiwan, Beijing has imposed sterner controls on exports to Japan of certain products, including some rare earths.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Lula wants Brazil—home to the world’s second-largest rare-earth reserves after China—to not just export raw ore, but rather build processing plants that can separate rare earths, produce metals and eventually manufacture magnets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Some more recent models can contain nearly a ton of rare earths, worth close to $100,000, Paladin estimates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
A universe in which there were two earths within one sphere of water was no longer an Aristotelian universe.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
They are earthed in this big moment, respectful of the tradition they are now associated with, the tradition of Washington’s special friends being drawn to the nation’s bosom.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 27, 2019
Far from having their heads in the clouds, they feel earthed.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 22, 2018
It would be easy to get away with a sense of Laura Linney as all sweetness and light – but she is, I think, complicatedly earthed.
From The Guardian ● May 27, 2018
Each of the sonatas is echt-Argerich: totally unpredictable from note to note, they fly like the most charming, sensual kite imaginable, ecstatically free and yet still earthed.
From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2014
Thus, the Wild Celery, which is certainly poisonous when growing exposed to daylight, becomes most palatable, and even beneficial, by having its edible leaf stalks earthed up and bleached during their time of cultivation.
From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by William Thomas Fernie
It added that it had existing lightning and earthing protection on its biogas tanks.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2023
San Francisco’s Joc Pederson also counts on constant support from Martin and is committed to breath work and earthing.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
“Everybody’s got some funny joke about grounding or earthing or trying to make a joke about being a hippie, or whatever the funny narrative is,” he said.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
Proponents of "earthing," or skin-to-skin contact with soil argue that this practice reduces anxiety.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2020
In such cases it is an excellent plan to dust the sets freely with sulphur at the time of planting and to repeat the application before earthing up.
From The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots 16th Edition by Sutton and Sons
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