That law preserves the earth a sphere And guides the
planets in their course. --S. Rogers.
In heaven, or earth, or under earth, in hell.
--Milton.
2. The solid materials which make up the globe, in
distinction from the air or water; the dry land.
God called the dry land earth. --Gen. i. 10.
He is pure air and fire, and the dull elements of
earth and water never appear in him. --Shak.
3. The softer inorganic matter composing part of the surface
of the globe, in distinction from the firm rock; soil of
all kinds, including gravel, clay, loam, and the like;
sometimes, soil favorable to the growth of plants; the
visible surface of the globe; the ground; as, loose earth;
rich earth.
Give him a little earth for charity. --Shak.
4. A part of this globe; a region; a country; land.
Would I had never trod this English earth. --Shak.
5. Worldly things, as opposed to spiritual things; the
pursuits, interests, and allurements of this life.
Our weary souls by earth beguiled. --Keble.
The whole earth was of one language. --Gen. xi. 1.
7. (Chem.)
(a) Any earthy-looking metallic oxide, as alumina,
glucina, zirconia, yttria, and thoria.
(b) A similar oxide, having a slight alkaline reaction, as
lime, magnesia, strontia, baryta.
8. A hole in the ground, where an animal hides himself; as,
the earth of a fox. --Macaulay.
They [ferrets] course the poor conies out of their
earths. --Holland.
Note: Earth is used either adjectively or in combination to
form compound words; as, earth apple or earth-apple;
earth metal or earth-metal; earth closet or
earth-closet.
{Adamic earth}, {Bitter earth}, {Bog earth}, {Chian earth},
etc. See under {Adamic}, {Bitter}, etc.
{Alkaline earths}. See under {Alkaline}.
{Earth apple}. (Bot.)
(a) A potato.
(b) A cucumber.
{Earth auger}, a form of auger for boring into the ground; --
called also {earth borer}.
{Earth bath}, a bath taken by immersing the naked body in
earth for healing purposes.
{Earth battery} (Physics), a voltaic battery the elements of
which are buried in the earth to be acted on by its
moisture.
{Earth closet}, a privy or commode provided with dry earth or
a similar substance for covering and deodorizing the
f[ae]cal discharges.
{Earth dog} (Zo["o]l.), a dog that will dig in the earth, or
enter holes of foxes, etc.
{Earth hog}, {Earth pig} (Zo["o]l.), the aard-vark.
{Earth hunger}, an intense desire to own land, or, in the
case of nations, to extend their domain.
{Earth light} (Astron.), the light reflected by the earth, as
upon the moon, and corresponding to moonlight; -- called
also {earth shine}. --Sir J. Herschel.
{Earth metal}. See 1st {Earth}, 7. (Chem.)
{Earth pillars} or {pyramids} (Geol.), high pillars or
pyramids of earth, sometimes capped with a single stone,
found in Switzerland. --Lyell.
{Earth pitch} (Min.), mineral tar, a kind of asphaltum.
{Earth quadrant}, a fourth of the earth's circumference.
{Earth table} (Arch.), the lowest course of stones visible in
a building; the ground table.
{On earth}, an intensive expression, oftenest used in
questions and exclamations; as, What on earth shall I do?
Nothing on earth will satisfy him. [Colloq.]