earth1 nounearth2 verb
earthearth1 /ɜːθ $ ɜːrθ/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 
WORD ORIGINearth
Origin:
Old English eortheEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Outside, the sun beat down on the red baked earth of Provence.
- planet earth
- The message was freshly scratched in the earth.
- The temperature of the Earth's core may be as high as 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.
- A shaking of earth, sky, mind, all.
- Above the earth, below the earth, on the earth, like Alice, curiouser and curiouser.
- Born when the earth sleeps, yet Effie never seemed to rest and had soon worn out a rather fragile Marjorie.
- He bailed out at just the right time and floated the short distance to earth in a golden parachute.
- In this way, signals can be sent to it and bounced back to earth stations for reception.
- Then, suddenly, he was running, his arms flailing wildly, his bare feet thudding against the dark earth.
- When he returned to earth, he discovered that his father had died.
- With the industrial revolution, however, a better world did in fact arrive on earth.
THESAURUS
the planet we live on – used especially when talking about this in relation to other planets and to space. Also used when talking about being on the ground as opposed to being in the sky: · The Earth moves around the Sun.· The space shuttle returned to Earth safely.· It’s the highest mountain on Earth.
the planet we live on – used when talking about all the people, countries, places etc on it: · He’s one of the richest men in the world.· Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world.
the solid dry part of the Earth’s surface: · After weeks at sea, the sailors saw land.
the world – used especially when you want to emphasize that something happens in or comes from every part of the world: · a meeting of scientists from around the globe· There has been an increase in skin cancer across the globe.· The network is accessible from any point on the globe.
Longman Language Activatorextremely expensive especially spoken, informal if something costs a fortune , it is very expensive: · What a beautiful car - it must have cost a fortune.cost somebody a fortune: · We had to eat out every night - it ended up costing us a fortune.cost a fortune to do something: · It'll cost a fortune to get that old car of his repaired.cost an absolute fortune: · The hotel was great, but it cost an absolute fortune.
British informal to be very expensive: · I can't imagine how she affords to send her kids to that school - it must cost a bomb.· Good shoes needn't cost the earth.cost somebody a bomb/the earth: · The divorce cost me a bomb.
a price or cost that is astronomical is extremely high: · The painting was sold for an astronomical price.· Tuition at private universities has become astronomical.
spoken to be very expensive: · That carpet must have cost an arm and a leg.cost somebody an arm and a leg: · Getting good health insurance these days costs an arm and a leg.
the substance that forms the surface of the land the brown substance that the ground is made up of: · Outside, the sun beat down on the red baked earth of Provence.· Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.
the earth that plants grow in: · Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.fertile soil (=soil that plants grow well in): · Parsley should have a deep, moist, fertile soil for ideal growth.
American loose dry earth: · The kids were playing in the yard, digging in the dirt.
the world the planet we live on, and all the places on it: · In some parts of the world, clean drinking water is very scarce.all over the world: · You can buy Coca-Cola all over the world.around the world (=in every part of the world): · Scientists around the world have been conducting similar experiments.· The ceremony was seen on television around the world.the whole world (=everyone and everything in the world): · For South Africa, and indeed for the whole world, 1990 was a year of great change.· The two countries are trying to work out a peace deal with the whole world watching.the best, fastest etc in the world/the world's best, fastest etc: · It's the world's tallest building.· At age 116, she was believed to be one of the oldest people in the world.
use this especially when you are comparing our world with the moon, stars, and other places in space: · Light from the stars can take millions of years to reach Earth.the earth/the Earth: · The earth revolves around the sun.· Water is one of the Earth's most important resources.the largest/oldest/poorest something on earth: · Vietnam is among the poorest nations on Earth.· The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth.to earth: · The space shuttle returned safely to earth on December 9th.
use this especially when you are talking about problems that affect the environment: · The massive volcanic eruption could affect the climate of the whole planet.· Energy conservation is vital for the future of the planet.· Ozone shields the planet from the effects of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.
use this especially when you want to emphasize the great distances or areas involved in something that happens or exists in the world: · Water covers over half of the globe.· Using satellites, television pictures can be seen on the other side of the globe almost instantly.all over the globe (=everywhere in the world): · This garden has exotic plants from all over the globe.
WORD SETSasteroid, nounastro-, prefixastronaut, nounastronomical, adjectiveastronomy, nounastrophysics, nounAU, aurora borealis, nounBig Bang, the, nounblack hole, nouncelestial, adjectivecomet, nounconstellation, nouncorona, nouncosmic, adjectivecosmic ray, nouncosmology, nouncosmonaut, noundead, adjectiveearth, nouneclipse, nouneclipse, verbecliptic, nounequinox, nounescape velocity, nounextraterrestrial, adjectivegalactic, adjectivegalaxy, noungeostationary orbit, nounHubble Space Telescope, the, infinity, nounintergalactic, adjectiveinterplanetary, adjectiveinterstellar, adjectiveJupiter, nounlaunch, verblaunch, nounlight year, nounLittle Bear, lunar, adjectivelunar month, nounmagnitude, nounMars, nounMercury, nounmeteor, nounmeteoric, adjectivemeteorite, nounMilky Way, the, month, nounmoon, nounmorning star, nounNASA, nounnebula, nounNeptune, nounnew moon, nounnova, nounobservatory, nounorbit, verborbit, nounorbiter, nounouter space, nounphase, nounplanet, nounplanetarium, nounplasma, nounPluto, nounquadrant, nounquarter, nounquasar, nounradio telescope, nounring, nounrocket, nounsatellite, nounSaturn, nounsea, nounshooting star, nounsolar, adjectivesolar system, nounspace, nounspace capsule, nounspacecraft, nounspace probe, nounspaceship, nounspace shuttle, nounspace station, nounstar, nounstargazer, nounsteady state theory, nounstellar, adjectivesun, nounsunspot, nounsupernova, nountelescope, nountelescopic, adjectiveterrestrial, adjectiveUranus, nounVenus, nounwane, verbwax, verbwhite dwarf, nounworld, nounzenith, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1nouns
Living on the farm for Jim was heaven on earth. He says his time in jail was hell on earth. People like that are the scum of the earth.
· Over seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean.
· Volcanoes and earthquakes occur where there is movement in the Earth’s crust.
(=central part)· The Earth’s inner core is almost entirely composed of iron.
(=parts around the central core)· the incredibly high temperatures and pressures deep within Earth’s mantle
· The Earth’s atmosphere blocks off all radiation from space other than light and radio waves.
· the continual pull of the Earth’s gravity on the Moon.
· The rocket left the Earth's orbit and set off to Mars.
· Has the Earth’s rotation always been the same?
· Over thousands of years, the direction of Earth’s axis slowly changes.
· The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has an influence on the Earth’s climate.
verbs· The Earth orbits the Sun once a year, and the Moon orbits the Earth approximately every 27 days.
· Because of the direction in which the Earth revolves, the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west.
· Why does the Earth goes around the Sun?
phrases· the origin of life on Planet Earth
Meaning 2adjectives· The wheels got stuck in the soft earth.
· It hadn’t rained for weeks and the earth was hard.
(=not covered by trees or grass)· There were no flowers or grass, just bare earth.
· This earth is not fertile enough to produce crops.
· The poppy seeds were planted in the freshly-dug earth.
· I slipped on the damp earth and fell over.
phrases (=a pile of earth that looks like a small hill)· A mound of earth lay beside the grave.
(=a lump of earth)· The horse’s hooves kicked up great clods of earth.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=deep under the ground)
(=have a very high price)· If you use a lawyer, it will cost you a fortune.
Living on the farm for Jim was heaven on earth. He says his time in jail was hell on earth. (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) How on earth did you find out?
How on earth did you find out? People like that are the scum of the earth. (=disappear so that no sign remains) The youngster vanished without a trace one day and has never been found.
The youngster vanished without a trace one day and has never been found. (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) What on earth’s going on?
What on earth’s going on? (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Where on earth have you been all this time?
Where on earth have you been all this time? (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Who on earth would live in such a lonely place? Who the hell are you?
Who on earth would live in such a lonely place? Who the hell are you? (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help? ‘I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ‘Why ever not?’
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help? ‘I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ‘Why ever not?’· The floor was of bare earth, and a ring of wooden poles supported the roof.· There is nothing to be seen on the spot but bare earth.· A favourite site is a bare patch of earth where the surface has been baked into a crust by the harsh sun.· Over the winter the distinctive bare earth is ground up and massed into sharp ruts by tractor tyres.
· It was dark and smelt of damp earth.· The mist was getting heavier; so, too, was the rank odor of damp earth.· She pulled through the clutching shrubbery and skimmed back up the steps, realizing she was leaving footprints of damp earth.· Four single bulbs under tin covers lit the entire station, and the air smelled of coal and damp earth.· The air was soft and a little wet, and she enjoyed feeling the cool, damp dungy earth in her hands.· Jack could smell the damp earth and the sweat from Evans's body.· Benny was staring intently at a large worm wriggling on the pile of damp earth.
· It pounded the soft earth and gurgled along the gutters to splash with relentless monotony into the tub outside the back door.· She was pointing at a recess scraped in the soft earth and pine needles.· I saw myself scooping out handfuls of soft loamy earth.· He rolled as soon as he hit the soft earth and crashed into the base of a tree.· Gradually, as they worked, their feet sank into the soft earth and wet mud oozed up between their toes.· His hand closed over grass which was instantly torn from the soft earth and his boots were dislodged from their precarious footholds.
VERB· Newcastle were brought down to earth when Brendan O'Connell earned Barnsley a 1-0 victory.· When Hercules came to the underworld he lifted Theseus from the seat and brought him back to earth.· The next evening, the Thursday, I was brought back down to earth with a bump.· Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth.· These valuations are way over the top and it is time a lot of these councillors where brought down to earth.· His high-fliers were brought crashing back to earth by a 3-0 Tranmere victory, however.· It really does bring everything down to earth.· Gently, making fun of me a little bit, bringing me back to earth.
· In Coventry Sir William Lyons produced wonderful engineering and style-but he didn't believe his cars should cost the earth.· He would miss seeing Harry and, besides, a weekend at some hotel would cost the earth.· But ... but it must cost the earth.· A well planned, well made kitchen that doesn't cost the earth.· It would cost the earth, but it had to be safer than Nigel's Aston Martin.· This is a flexible, well-designed machine which produces quality prints and doesn't cost the earth to print them.· It's better than getting a locum in - they cost the earth and sometimes do more harm than good.
· She wrote stories about angels fallen to earth.· Within six seconds of the collision, one fell to earth among other aircraft, just below the point of impact.· Thus she left them, and Metaneira fell speechless to the earth and all there trembled with fear.· Mafouz fell heavily to earth amidst sudden, devastating silence.· We saw the plane and heard the bombs falling to earth.· Eventually, it will stop going up and will fall hack to earth.· It crawled about outside the murmuring door and fell to the earth.
· In despair he wondered what on earth he was doing.· All of which leaves many observers wondering what on earth is the appeal of such violent, repellent music.· I wonder how on earth we worked the 1979 and 1983 elections without them.· Not for the first time in the last twenty-four hours Kate wondered what on earth had happened to her child.· A second later and Fabia was wondering what on earth she was thinking about.· We wondered what on earth was happening.· And Mains sat and wondered what on earth was going on.· Doubts came rushing in as she stared at her reflection, wondering what on earth had possessed her to buy it.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► look/feel etc like nothing on earth► what/why/how etc on earth ...?► the biggest/tallest/most expensive etc ... on earthPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England► disappear/vanish from/off the face of the earth► on the face of the earth► promise somebody the moon/the earth► wipe something off the face of the earth/wipe something off the map
- Adai can come back to Earth after Gog is dead - after I am dead, perhaps.
- AIr travellers came down to earth with a bump yesterday when they joined in some charity aerobics.
- In Karuzi you quickly come down to earth.
- Maybe, but the once pricey products that use this satellite technology have come down to earth.
- Peter Lilley came down to earth.
- They recently have come down to Earth.
- But at the time, with my dad as he was, there might have been no such place on earth.
- Further, no nation on Earth presently has the ability to launch manned lunar missions.
- Gazza's goal convinced Maradona there is no greater player on earth than the irrepressible Geordie.
- No city on earth is quite like it.
- No nation on earth takes greater pride in its moral heritage than the United States.
- Obviously I couldn't mime to a voice of seventeen years ago, no way on earth!
- Oh no ... what on earth was there to cry for?
- There is no excitement on earth like it.
- All the village had gone to earth.
- He'd go to earth and stay there till dark.
- Not much doubt he slipped in there and went to earth in the shed, for some purpose of his own.
- He hadn't been there that morning and now she had run him to earth in the café.
- A well planned, well made kitchen that doesn't cost the earth.
- But ... but it must cost the earth.
- He would miss seeing Harry and, besides, a weekend at some hotel would cost the earth.
- In Coventry Sir William Lyons produced wonderful engineering and style-but he didn't believe his cars should cost the earth.
- It is possible to pay the earth for beauty products.
- It would cost the earth, but it had to be safer than Nigel's Aston Martin.
- This is a flexible, well-designed machine which produces quality prints and doesn't cost the earth to print them.
- Brad would go to the ends of the earth to make his wife happy.
- Consuming the fruits of the Earth unrestrained, we become consumed ourselves by avarice and greed.
- Bishop Auckland have also moved heaven and earth to improve their standing.
- If you knew what I was doing you'd have moved heaven and earth to stop me.
- So together we moved heaven and earth to ensure, in a difficult year, that the necessary money was made available.
- We've all experienced it and most of us would move heaven and earth to avoid it.
- Robert D.. Raven is the salt of the earth.
- That he's the salt of the earth?
- The backbone of the nation, the salt of the earth.
- The homeless are not the salt of the earth.
WORD FAMILYnounearthearthlingearthinessadjectiveearthyearthly ≠ unearthlyearthenverbunearthadverbearthward(s)
1
world (also Earth) [singular, uncountable] the planet that we live on: the planet Earththe Earth The Earth revolves around the Sun.the Earth’s surface/atmosphere/crust etc 71% of the Earth’s surface is sea.on Earth the origin of life on Earth2soil [uncountable] the substance that plants grow in SYN soilsoft/bare/damp etc earth footprints in the wet earth a lump of earth► see thesaurus at ground3land [uncountable] the hard surface of the world, as opposed to the sea or air SYN ground: The earth shook. They watched the kite fall back to earth.4what/why/how etc on earth ...? spoken used to ask a question when you are very surprised or angry: What on earth did you do that for?5cost/pay/charge the earth informal to cost etc a very large amount of money: It must have cost the earth!6the biggest/tallest/most expensive etc ... on earth the biggest etc example of something that exists: the most powerful man on earth7religion [uncountable] used in religion to refer to the time when people are alive as opposed to being in heaven or hell: Jesus’ time on earth → move heaven and earth at heaven(9), → hell on earth at hell1(2)8come back/down to earth (with a bump) to stop behaving or living in a way that is not practical: She soon brought him back down to earth.9no ... /nothing on earth used to emphasize that you mean nothing at all: Nothing on earth would have persuaded me to go. There’s no reason on earth why you should tell him.10look/feel etc like nothing on earth British English to look or feel very strange: The next morning I felt like nothing on earth.11electricity [countable usually singular] British English a wire that makes a piece of electrical equipment safe by connecting it with the ground SYN ground American English12animal’s home [countable] the hole where a wild animal such as a fox lives13go to earth British English to hide in order to escape from someone who is chasing you SYN go to ground14run somebody/something to earth British English to find someone, especially by looking in many places → down-to-earth, → promise somebody the moon/the earth at promise1(3), → the salt of the earth at salt1(2)COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1nounsthe Earth’s surface· Over seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean.the Earth’s crust· Volcanoes and earthquakes occur where there is movement in the Earth’s crust.the Earth’s core (=central part)· The Earth’s inner core is almost entirely composed of iron.the Earth’s mantle (=parts around the central core)· the incredibly high temperatures and pressures deep within Earth’s mantlethe Earth’s atmosphere· The Earth’s atmosphere blocks off all radiation from space other than light and radio waves.the Earth’s gravity· the continual pull of the Earth’s gravity on the Moon.the Earth’s orbit· The rocket left the Earth's orbit and set off to Mars.the Earth’s rotation· Has the Earth’s rotation always been the same?the Earth’s axis· Over thousands of years, the direction of Earth’s axis slowly changes.the Earth’s climate· The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has an influence on the Earth’s climate.verbsorbit· The Earth orbits the Sun once a year, and the Moon orbits the Earth approximately every 27 days.revolve/rotate· Because of the direction in which the Earth revolves, the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west.go round/around· Why does the Earth goes around the Sun?phrasesPlanet Earth· the origin of life on Planet EarthCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2adjectivessoft· The wheels got stuck in the soft earth.hard· It hadn’t rained for weeks and the earth was hard.bare (=not covered by trees or grass)· There were no flowers or grass, just bare earth.fertile· This earth is not fertile enough to produce crops.freshly-dug· The poppy seeds were planted in the freshly-dug earth.moist/damp· I slipped on the damp earth and fell over.phrasesa mound of earth (=a pile of earth that looks like a small hill)· A mound of earth lay beside the grave.a clod/clump of earth (=a lump of earth)· The horse’s hooves kicked up great clods of earth.THESAURUSEarth/the Earth the planet we live on – used especially when talking about this in relation to other planets and to space. Also used when talking about being on the ground as opposed to being in the sky: · The Earth moves around the Sun.· The space shuttle returned to Earth safely.· It’s the highest mountain on Earth.the world the planet we live on – used when talking about all the people, countries, places etc on it: · He’s one of the richest men in the world.· Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world.land the solid dry part of the Earth’s surface: · After weeks at sea, the sailors saw land.the globe the world – used especially when you want to emphasize that something happens in or comes from every part of the world: · a meeting of scientists from around the globe· There has been an increase in skin cancer across the globe.· The network is accessible from any point on the globe.earth1 nounearth2 verb
earthearth2 verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
earth
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | earth |
| he, she, it | earths | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | earthed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have earthed |
| he, she, it | has earthed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had earthed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will earth |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have earthed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am earthing |
| he, she, it | is earthing | |
| you, we, they | are earthing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was earthing |
| you, we, they | were earthing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been earthing |
| he, she, it | has been earthing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been earthing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be earthing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been earthing |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- All that is a bit abstract but it can be earthed by an example.
- Any exposed metal must be reliably earthed to the mains Earth lead.
- He is strongest when he's earthed and practical.
- The £50 rubber-soled shoes earthed the massive electric shock as the bolt hit Brian, 12, in his bedroom.
WORD SETS
alternator, nounarc, nounblow, verbcapacitor, nouncathode, nouncell, nouncharge, nouncharge, verbcharger, nouncircuit, nouncircuit board, nouncircuit breaker, nouncircuitry, nouncoil, nouncondenser, nounconnection, nouncontact, nouncord, nouncordless, adjectivecurrent, nounDC, dimmer, noundirect current, noundischarge, verbdischarge, nounE, earth, nounearth, verbelectric, adjectiveelectrician, nounelectricity, nounelectrics, nounelectrode, nounelectronic, adjectiveelectronics, nounfuel cell, nounfuse, verbfuse box, nounfused, adjectivegrid, nounlive, adjectivelive wire, nounmagic eye, nounmagneto, nounnegative, adjectiveneutral, adjectivenoise, nounoscillate, verboscillator, nounoutlet, nounphotoelectric, adjectivephotoelectric cell, nounpin, nounplug, nounpoint, nounpre-set, adjectiveprinted circuit, nounprogramme, nounprogramme, verbpulse, nounremote control, nounresistance, nounresistor, nounscan, verbscanner, nounshort, nounshort, verbshort circuit, nounshort-circuit, verbsocket, nounsolid-state, adjectivesonar, nounsuperconductivity, nounsuperconductor, nounterminal, nountime switch, nountoggle switch, nountorch, nountransformer, nountransistor, nounvacuum tube, nounvalve, nounW, wire, nounwiring, nounzapper, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Living on the farm for Jim was heaven on earth. He says his time in jail was hell on earth. People like that are the scum of the earth.
(=deep under the ground)
(=have a very high price)· If you use a lawyer, it will cost you a fortune.
Living on the farm for Jim was heaven on earth. He says his time in jail was hell on earth. (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) How on earth did you find out?
How on earth did you find out? People like that are the scum of the earth. (=disappear so that no sign remains) The youngster vanished without a trace one day and has never been found.
The youngster vanished without a trace one day and has never been found. (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) What on earth’s going on?
What on earth’s going on? (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Where on earth have you been all this time?
Where on earth have you been all this time? (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Who on earth would live in such a lonely place? Who the hell are you?
Who on earth would live in such a lonely place? Who the hell are you? (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help? ‘I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ‘Why ever not?’
Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help? ‘I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ‘Why ever not?’PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England► disappear/vanish from/off the face of the earth► on the face of the earth► promise somebody the moon/the earth► wipe something off the face of the earth/wipe something off the map
British English to make electrical equipment safe by connecting it to the ground with a wire SYN ground American English: - Brad would go to the ends of the earth to make his wife happy.
- Consuming the fruits of the Earth unrestrained, we become consumed ourselves by avarice and greed.
- Bishop Auckland have also moved heaven and earth to improve their standing.
- If you knew what I was doing you'd have moved heaven and earth to stop me.
- So together we moved heaven and earth to ensure, in a difficult year, that the necessary money was made available.
- We've all experienced it and most of us would move heaven and earth to avoid it.
- Robert D.. Raven is the salt of the earth.
- That he's the salt of the earth?
- The backbone of the nation, the salt of the earth.
- The homeless are not the salt of the earth.
Make sure that the machine is properly earthed.