Definition of earth

What does the word earth mean?

• part of speech: verb transitive, intransitive

  Cover (roots of plants) with heaped-up earth; drive (fox) to earth; (intr., of fox) run to earth.

• part of speech: noun

  (pl. only as below). The ground, as it fell to e.; (w. pl.) hole of badger, fox, &c.; the dry land; land& sea opp. The (material) heaven; this world opp. Heaven or hell (why &c. on e.? why EVER?); (w. pl.) soil, mould; (Chem., w. pl.) any of certain metallic oxides, uninflammable, & having little taste or smell; (Electr., w. pl.) communication with c. as completion of circuit; e.-born, of mortal race, (Myth.) emerging from e. at birth; e.- (substitute for WATER) closet; e.-light, -shine, partial illumination of dark part of moon by light from e.; e.-nut, pig-nut& other plants; earthwork, bank of e. used in fortification; earthworm, worm living in ground, (fig.) grovelling person. Hence earthward (s) adv. [old English]

• part of speech: noun

  who, what, why, where, &c., on e.?, who &c. ever? (in questions expr. surprise, curiosity, impatience, &c.); nothing one., nothing at all, nothing whatever.