earthnoun
uk/ɜːθ/us/ɝːθ/earth noun (PLANET)
B1 [ S or U ] also Earth the planet third in order of distance from the sun, between Venus and Mars; the world on which we live:
More examples
- It was Ptolemy who propounded the theory that the earth was at the centre of the universe.
- The satellite slowly rotates as it circles the earth.
- As every schoolboy knows, the earth revolves around the sun.
- Meteorites often burn up in the atmosphere before they reach the Earth.
- Theories abound about how the earth began.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Astronomy
- asteroid
- astral
- astro-
- astrolabe
- astronomer
- geostationary orbit
- gibbous
- heavenly body
- interplanetary
- interstellar
- planetoid
- Pleiades
- plough
- Pluto
- Polaris
- the Southern Cross
- Uranus
- Venus
- vernal equinox
- wane
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earth noun (GROUND)
B2 [ S or U ] the land surface of the world rather than the sky or sea:
B2 the usually brown, heavy and loose substance of which a large part of the surface of the ground is made, and in which plants can grow:
More examples
- Their hoofs threw up clods of earth as they galloped across the field.
- There was a large mound of earth in the middle of the field.
- A large worm wriggled in the freshly dug earth.
- In the spring you almost feel you can smell the earth.
- I like to get my hands in the earth when I'm gardening.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Soil
- aerator
- boulder clay
- chalk
- clay
- dirt
- grit
- heavy
- laterite
- limy
- loam
- mudslide
- ooze
- ore
- peat bog
- sandy
- sediment
- sludge
- soil science
- topsoil
- worm cast
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earth noun (WIRE)
[ C usually singular ] UK US ground a wire that makes a connection between a piece of electrical equipment and the ground, so the user is protected from feeling an electric shock if the equipment develops a fault
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Electrical switches & connections
- connector
- cord
- cordless
- dimmer
- dimmer switch
- dip switch
- docking station
- electrical outlet
- ground
- jack
- jack plug
- plug (sth) in/plug (sth) into sth
- push-button
- put sth on
- put sth out 1
- remote control
- shaver point
- socket
- wiring
- zapper
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earth noun (HOLE)
[ C ] a hole in the ground where an animal such as a fox lives
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal dwellings - natural
- anthill
- arboreal
- biome
- burrow
- byre
- cobweb
- den
- habitat
- hole
- house
- lair
- litter
- lodge
- molehill
- nest
- niche
- rookery
- roost
- web
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Idiom(s)
earthverb [ T usually passive ]
uk/ɜːθ/us/ɝːθ/UK US groundto put an earth (= wire) between a piece of electrical equipment and the ground:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Electricity & electronics
- anodize
- anti-static
- chargeable
- charger
- conduction
- destructive interference
- electric
- electric field
- electrical
- electromagnetic
- electrostatic
- flow
- generation
- homing
- input
- linesman
- rechargeable
- resistor
- solid-state
- transistorized
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