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earth

earth

15 9.9
One of four ancient elements thought to make up the world
  • noun
  • /ɜrθ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : tierra
  • So the four elements, earth, air, fire and water, right?
  • earth and air
  • earth and water
  • earth and fire

So the four elements, earth, air, fire and water, right?

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Examples

  • The conventional wisdom was that all matter was made-up of water, earth, fire, and air.

  • Well, for centuries, deep thinkers thought of earth, air, fire, and water as the fundamental elements.

  • Uh, water, earth, water, fire, air, and space. These are the five,

  • Believe that everything, including spirit and mind, is composed of earth, air, fire, and water.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • As the plate descends deep into the earth, it encounters intense heat and pressure.

  • ... and dinosaurs are believed to have roamed the earth 225 million years ago.

    Blog text (7)
  • Our battle shook the earth, until, finally, I banished Kai to the Spirit Realm.

  • His brother, Lightning, wielded a flashing spear of white fire which scorched the earth and boiled the sea.

  • In ancient philosophy, the qualities of earth were often described as cold and dry.

  • According to medieval thinkers, earth was one of the four essential substances that made up the universe.

Idioms

on earth
  • Informal
117 2.8

You say it after a question word to show surprise

on Earth
  • Informal
32 2.3

To show strong surprise or doubt in a question

hell on earth
  • Informal
9 6.8

A place or situation that causes great suffering and pain

9 6.1

A kind, honest, reliable person who helps others in their community

scum of the earth
  • Offensive
9 8.7

A cruel, dishonest person that many people hate

7 4.2

Do everything you can to achieve something important

4 4.5

A way of saying someone will go very far to help or find something

earth to
  • Informal
1 9.2

To get someone's attention when they are distracted

To try very hard and do anything to achieve something

Disappear completely so no one knows what happened and no sign is left

To be very expensive

Someone or something disappears completely so nobody knows where they are

Compounds

The surface of the world or being anywhere in the world

42 4.1

A person who is practical and sensible in a friendly, not showy way

rare earth
  • Specialized
11 6.6

A group of metals used in electronics and industry

Very important and surprising in a way that changes what happens

The whole natural world or the planet

earth science
  • Specialized
3 3.4

The study of the Earth's land, rocks, water, and air

A very distant place that seems at the limit of the world

A very beautiful place where people feel happy and peaceful

2 8.0

A plan to destroy useful things on purpose so an enemy cannot use them

rare-earth element
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A metal like neodymium used in electronics and strong magnets

1 3.7

A small earthquake that causes little or no damage

diatomaceous earth
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A soft, light powder made from fossil bits of tiny water plants used to kill insects and filter liquids

1 3.9

A natural color made from soil, usually brown, yellow or red, used in art

earth goddess
  • Literature
1 7.6

A female spirit who is linked to the earth and helps plants grow

earth mother
  • Literature
1 8.5

A female spirit who represents the Earth and gives life and fertility

1 4.5

A caring person who loves nature, grows plants, and helps others with gardening

bleaching earth
  • Specialized
8.0

A fine clay that removes color and unwanted parts from oils

9.5

A small edible root like a tiny nut that people eat or use in food

earth god
  • Literature
8.6

A god who cares for the earth and helps plants grow

earth-goddess
  • Literature
9.5

A female being who people believe looks after the earth, plants, and crops

earth-god
  • Literature
9.9

A god connected to the land and plants who helps crops grow

earth wax
  • Specialized
9.9

A natural firm material found near oil that is used to make candles

9.9

A valuable underground mushroom that chefs use to give food a strong, earthy taste

earth-closet
  • Archaic
9.9

A small outdoor toilet that uses earth to cover waste instead of flushing it

9.9

A plant from Europe with small edible tubers that people eat and use to add flavor

Earth-received time
  • Specialized
9.5

The time on Earth when a signal from space arrives, usually given in UTC

earth-tongue
  • Specialized
9.9

A small club-shaped fungus that grows in soil or grass

alkaline earth
  • Specialized
7.2

A metal in the second column of the periodic table, like magnesium or calcium

alkaline-earth metal
  • Specialized
7.2

A metal like calcium or magnesium that makes substances that are not acidic

fuller's earth
  • Specialized
7.9

A fine clay that soaks up oil and grease to clean surfaces or cloth

A plant with large starchy roots like a sweet potato

gall of the earth
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant that lives for several years with drooping clusters of pink flowers and broad leaves like a lion's paw

Soft clay with no iron used to make pots and models

Surface Forms

earth singular
earths plural

Etymology

In old thinking about nature, earth was one of the four elements and meant the solid, heavy part of the world, so it was linked to being 'cold' and 'dry' and to ideas of stability and the body.