earth

earth — 名詞

1. the world, third from the Sun after Venus and before Mars, that supports all kno

1.名詞A1
釋義

地球

太陽系第三顆行星

the world, third from the Sun after Venus and before Mars, that supports all known living things

例句

The Earth travels around the Sun once every year.

地球每年繞太陽一圈。

often capitalised as 'the Earth'

Lisa hopes to visit every continent on Earth before she turns forty.

Lisa 希望四十歲前能造訪地球上每一個洲。

同義詞
  • the world

    more general term; can refer to human society rather than the physical planet

  • the globe

    emphasises the spherical shape; often used in formal or environmental writing

文法句型

the Earth

on Earth

常見錯誤

❌The earth is the third planet from sun.
✅The Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
💡when referring to the planet, capitalise 'Earth' and use 'the' before it; 'Sun' is also capitalised.
❌People on earth must protect environment.
✅People on Earth must protect the environment.
💡use capitalisation and the definite article for both the planet and 'the environment'.

2. the solid outer layer of the planet, as opposed to the sky, the sea, or outer sp

2.名詞A2
釋義

地面；陸地

相對於天空或海洋的固體表面

the solid outer layer of the planet, as opposed to the sky, the sea, or outer space

例句

The plane began its descent, and the earth came into view below the clouds.

飛機開始下降，地面穿過雲層出現在視野中。

'the earth' contrasting with sky

Caleb lay on the grass and felt the cool earth beneath his back.

Caleb 躺在草地上，感覺到背部底下冰涼的土地。

同義詞
  • ground

    more common in everyday speech; emphasises the surface you stand or walk on

  • land

    focuses on territory rather than the physical surface as a material

反義詞
  • sky

    the space above the earth's surface

  • sea

    the large body of salt water covering parts of the earth

文法句型

on earth

to earth

the earth

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 ('the planet'), this sense is not capitalised, even though it refers to the same physical substance. The definite article is common ('the earth') but not always required in fixed phrases such as 'to earth' (falling to the ground).

常見錯誤

❌The apple dropped to the Earth.
✅The apple dropped to the earth.
💡when referring to the ground beneath you, use lowercase 'earth'.

3. the dark, loose material found in the ground and used by plants for rooting and

3.名詞A2
釋義

泥土；土壤

植物生長所需的疏鬆物質

the dark, loose material found in the ground and used by plants for rooting and growth

例句

Mizuki filled the flowerpot with fresh earth before planting the seeds.

Mizuki 在花盆裡裝滿了新土，然後種下種子。

collocation: 'fill with earth'

The earth in this garden is rich and easy to dig because of the compost.

這個花園的土因為加了堆肥而肥沃疏鬆，很容易挖。

同義詞
  • soil

    the standard technical and everyday term; more common in gardening and farming contexts

  • dirt

    informal; can also mean 'unclean matter' — less precise

  • ground

    can refer to the surface itself rather than the loose material

文法句型

earth + noun (earth floor)

earth for [purpose]

用法筆記

This sense is interchangeable with 'soil' in most contexts, but 'earth' sounds slightly more natural when describing the material as something you touch or move. 'Soil' is preferred in technical or agricultural writing.

常見錯誤

❌The earths in this region are very fertile.
✅The earth in this region is very fertile.
💡earth is uncountable when it means soil.

4. a wire or other connection that links an electrical device to the ground so that

4.名詞B2
釋義

接地線

電器連接地面的安全導線

a wire or other connection that links an electrical device to the ground so that if a fault occurs the electric current can flow safely away

例句

The electrician checked that the earth was properly connected before turning the power back on.

電工確認接地線已正確連接後，才重新打開電源。

Old houses often lack an earth in their electrical sockets, making them dangerous.

老房子的電源插座常常沒有接地線，因此很危險。

countable: 'an earth'

同義詞
  • ground

    American English equivalent; more widely understood internationally

文法句型

earth wire

connect to earth

an earth

用法筆記

This is the British English term. In American English, the same concept is called 'ground'. If writing for an international audience, consider using 'ground' or explaining the difference.

常見錯誤

❌The earth wire ground the current.
✅The earth wire carries the fault current to the ground.
💡the earth wire is a path, not an active component.

5. a hole dug under the surface of the soil for shelter, typically used by wild ani

5.名詞B1
釋義

洞穴；巢穴

野生動物居住的地下洞穴

a hole dug under the surface of the soil for shelter, typically used by wild animals such as foxes or badgers

例句

The hunters found a fox earth hidden among the roots of an old oak tree.

獵人在一棵老橡樹的樹根間發現了一個狐狸窩。

collocation: 'fox earth'

A badger had dug a large earth under the fence at the edge of the field.

一隻獾在田邊的籬笆下方挖了一個很大的洞穴。

同義詞
  • burrow

    more general term for any animal tunnel in the ground

  • den

    focuses on the living chamber rather than the tunnel; used for foxes, bears, etc.

  • lair

    formal or literary; emphasises the animal's resting place

文法句型

[animal] + earth

into its earth

用法筆記

This sense is most commonly used with foxes in British English. For other animals, 'burrow' or 'den' are more general terms.

earth — 動詞