adjective
-
made of baked clay
an earthen pot
-
made of earth
Etymology
Origin of earthen
1175–1225; Middle English erthen, Old English eorthen. See earth, -en 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the riverbank, local resident Ahmad Saadoun pointed at a temporary earthen bridge that collapsed.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
What survives of this ancient city today includes two long rows of rectangular earthen mounds, each about a meter high.
From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2025
They constructed a 35-mile earthen berm around the city in an attempt to encircle its one million residents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
It smells like a kitchen — earthen, dry, airy with a hint of spice and pepper.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025
This cauldron he filled partly full of water, dipping it with a half gourd from an earthen jar that stood near, but he dipped cautiously, for water was precious.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
