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.
Paul László’s “Atomville, U.S.A.,” a vision of suburbia half a century in the future, buried the family home beneath an earthen shell that doubled as a helicopter landing pad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Thoreen works with bronze, leather, and earthen materials; Aggrey specializes in precision components and mechanical elements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
In response to the floods, the worst in 30 years, authorities were on the alert, reinforcing earthen barriers and preparing to evacuate if needed.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Using a rich, bold palette, he depicted Islamic astronomers, philosophers, and desert wanderers with the same kinetic lines that defined his Indian art, but in warmer, earthen ochres reflecting the Gulf's landscape.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2025
The scenery was altered in only one regard: the long summer of drought had dramatically lowered the level of the lake, exposing brown earthen banks and leaving the floating dock high, dry, and useless.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
