{ } A brown pigment of varying permanence, consisting of impure lignite. It was found originally near Cassel (now Kassel), Germany. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

[ From Cologne the city. ] (Min.) An earth of a deep brown color, containing more vegetable than mineral matter; an earthy variety of lignite, or brown coal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. derthe, fr. dere. See Dear. ] Scarcity which renders dear; want; lack; specifically, lack of food on account of failure of crops; famine. [ 1913 Webster ]

There came a dearth over all the land of Egypt. Acts vii. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

He with her press'd, she faint with dearth. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dearth of plot, and narrowness of imagination. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Geol.), a deposit of fine, usually white, siliceous material, composed mainly of the shells of the microscopic plants called diatoms; also called infusorial earth, kieselguhr, and diatomite. It is used in polishing powder, and in the manufacture of dynamite. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

adj. facing reality squarely; guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory. Opposite of idealistic, unrealistic, impractical, and pie-in-the-sky.
Syn. -- hardheaded, hard-nosed, practical, pragmatic. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ AS. eorðe; akin to OS. ertha, OFries. irthe, D. aarde, OHG. erda, G. erde, Icel. jörð, Sw. & Dan. jord, Goth. aīrþa, OHG. ero, Gr. &unr_;, adv., to earth, and perh. to E. ear to plow. ] 1. The globe or planet which we inhabit; the world, in distinction from the sun, moon, or stars. Also, this world as the dwelling place of mortals, in distinction from the dwelling place of spirits. [ 1913 Webster ]

That law preserves the earth a sphere
And guides the planets in their course. S. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]

In heaven, or earth, or under earth, in hell. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The solid materials which make up the globe, in distinction from the air or water; the dry land. [ 1913 Webster ]

God called the dry land earth. Gen. i. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

He is pure air and fire, and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Give him a little earth for charity. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A part of this globe; a region; a country; land. [ 1913 Webster ]

Would I had never trod this English earth. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Worldly things, as opposed to spiritual things; the pursuits, interests, and allurements of this life. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our weary souls by earth beguiled. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The people on the globe. [ 1913 Webster ]

The whole earth was of one language. Gen. xi. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A hole in the ground, where an animal hides himself; as, the earth of a fox. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

They [ ferrets ] course the poor conies out of their earths. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Elec.) The connection of any part an electric conductor with the ground; specif., the connection of a telegraph line with the ground through a fault or otherwise.

☞ When the resistance of the earth connection is low it is termed a good earth. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 chestnut, the pignut. --
Earth closet, a privy or commode provided with dry earth or a similar substance for covering and deodorizing the fæcal discharges. --
Earth dog (Zoöl.), a dog that will dig in the earth, or enter holes of foxes, etc. --
Earth hog,
Earth pig (Zoöl.), 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 oil, petroleum. --
Earth pillars or
Earth 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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Earthed p. pr. & vb. n. Earthing. ] 1. To hide, or cause to hide, in the earth; to chase into a burrow or den. “The fox is earthed.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cover with earth or mold; to inter; to bury; -- sometimes with up. [ 1913 Webster ]

The miser earths his treasure, and the thief,
Watching the mole, half beggars him ere noon. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

Why this in earthing up a carcass? R. Blair. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To burrow. Tickell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Ear to plow. ] A plowing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such land as ye break up for barley to sow,
Two earths at the least, ere ye sow it, bestow. Tusser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Metal.) The forward extension of the hearth of a blast furnace under the tymp. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A hole in the earth to which a fox resorts to hide himself. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A common perennial herb (Nabalus serpentarius) widely distributed in southern and eastern U. S., having drooping clusters of pinkish flowers and thick basal leaves suggesting a lion's foot in shape; sometimes placed in the genus Prenanthes.
Syn. -- lion's foot, gall of the earth, Nabalus serpentarius, Prenanthes serpentaria. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. harthe, herth, herthe, AS. heorð; akin to D. haard, heerd, Sw. härd, G. herd; cf. Goth. haúri a coal, Icel. hyrr embers, and L. cremare to burn. ] 1. The pavement or floor of brick, stone, or metal in a chimney, on which a fire is made; the floor of a fireplace; also, a corresponding part of a stove. [ 1913 Webster ]

There was a fire on the hearth burning before him. Jer. xxxvi. 22. [ 1913 Webster ]

Where fires thou find'st unraked and hearths unswept.
There pinch the maids as blue as bilberry. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The house itself, as the abode of comfort to its inmates and of hospitality to strangers; fireside. [ 1913 Webster ]

Household talk and phrases of the hearth. Tennyson.

3. (Metal. & Manuf.) The floor of a furnace, on which the material to be heated lies, or the lowest part of a melting furnace, into which the melted material settles; as, an open-hearth smelting furnace. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Hearth ends (Metal.), fragments of lead ore ejected from the furnace by the blast. --
Hearth money,
Hearth penny [ AS. heorðpening ], a tax formerly laid in England on hearths, each hearth (in all houses paying the church and poor rates) being taxed at two shillings; -- called also chimney money, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

He had been importuned by the common people to relieve them from the . . . burden of the hearth money. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To inter. [ R. ] Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Bot.) A long-rooted morning glory (Ipomoea leptophylla) of Western U. S.
Syn. -- man of the earth, Ipomoea leptophylla. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. A tropical American prostrate or climbing herbaceous perennial (Ipomoea panurata or Ipomoea fastigiata) having an enormous starchy root; sometimes held to be source of the sweet potato.
Syn. -- wild potato vine, wild sweet potato vine, man of the earth, manroot, scammonyroot, Ipomoea panurata, Ipomoea fastigiata. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The world, considered as lying between heaven and hell. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Unearthed p. pr. & vb. n. Unearthing. ] [ 1st pref. un- + earth. ] To drive or draw from the earth; hence, to uncover; to bring out from concealment; to bring to light; to disclose; as, to unearth a secret. [ 1913 Webster ]

To unearth the roof of an old tree. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The earth. [ Obs. ] “Is my son dead or hurt or on the yerthe felled?” Ld. Berners. [ 1913 Webster ]