'On earth' definitions:
Definition of 'on earth'
From: WordNet
adverb
Used with question words to convey surprise; "what on earth are you doing?"
Definition of 'On earth'
From: GCIDE
- Earth \Earth\ ([~e]rth), n. [AS. eor[eth]e; akin to OS. ertha, OFries. irthe, D. aarde, OHG. erda, G. erde, Icel. j["o]r[eth], Sw. & Dan. jord, Goth. a[imac]r[thorn]a, OHG. ero, Gr. ?, 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.
- Note: When the resistance of the earth connection is low it is termed a good earth. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
- 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. [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 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 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]
Words containing 'On earth'
- Earth,
- Earthed,
- Earthing,
- Earthly,
- earth up,
- Adamic earth,
- Alkaline earths,
- Bitter earth,
- Black Earth,
- Blue Earth,
- Bog earth,
- Bone earth,
- Brick earth,
- Cassel earth,
- Chian earth,
- Cologne earth,
- Earth apple,
- Earth auger,
- Earth bath,
- Earth battery,
- Earth chestnut,
- Earth closet,
- Earth dog,
- Earth flax,
- Earth hog,
- Earth hunger,
- Earth light,
- Earth metal,
- Earth oil,
- Earth pig,
- Earth pillars,
- Earth pitch,
- Earth pyramid,
- Earth pyramids,
- Earth quadrant,
- Earth shine,
- Earth shrew,
- Earth table,
- Earth, TX,
- Ends of the earth,
- Foster earth,
- Fuller's earth,
- Gall of the earth,
- Green earth,
- Hazel earth,
- Infusorial earth,
- Japan earth,
- Lemnian earth,
- Meat earth,
- Poles of the earth,
- Samian earth,
- Tile earth,
- White Earth,
- Yellow earth,
- alkaline earth,
- bleaching earth,
- diatomaceous earth,
- down-to-earth,
- earth almond,
- earth borer,
- earth color,
- earth colors,
- earth god,
- earth goddess,
- earth mother,
- earth science,
- earth tones,
- earth tremor,
- earth wax,
- earth's crust,
- earth's surface,
- earthly concern,
- hell on earth,
- potter's earth,
- rare earth,
- salt of the earth,
- scum of the earth,
- Black Earth, WI,
- Blue Earth County,
- Blue Earth, MN,
- Diurnal motion of the earth,
- Earth-tongue,
- Earthly-minded,
- Earthly-mindedness,
- Man-of-the earth,
- Middle-earth,
- Star-of-the-earth,
- To go the way of all the earth,
- White Earth, MN,
- White Earth, ND,
- earth-ball,
- earth-born,
- earth-closet,
- earth-colored,
- earth-god,
- earth-goddess,
- earth-shaking,
- gall-of-the-earth,
- man-of-the-earth,
- organization of the oppressed on earth,
- Blue Earth County, MN,
- alkaline-earth metal,
- earth-colored earthlike,
- earth-nut pea,
- earth-received time,
- rare-earth element,
- scorched-earth policy