noun
1.
a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called count for a time after the Norman conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.
2.
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a governor of one of the great divisions of England, including East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English erl, Old English eorl; cognate with Old Saxon erl man, Old Norse jarl chieftain
before 900; Middle English erl, Old English eorl; cognate with Old Saxon erl man, Old Norse jarl chieftain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Earl
00:10
Earl
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
earl (ɜːl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | Female equivalent: countess (in the British Isles) a nobleman ranking below a marquess and above a viscount |
| 2. | (in Anglo-Saxon England) a royal governor of any of the large divisions of the kingdom, such as Wessex |
| [Old English eorl; related to Old Norse jarl chieftain, Old Saxon erl man] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
earl
O.E. eorl "nobleman, warrior" (contrasted with ceorl "churl"), from P.Gmc. *erlo-z, of uncertain origin. In Anglo-Saxon poetry, "a warrior, a brave man;" in later O.E., a Danish under-king (equivalent of O.N. jarl), then one of the viceroys under the Danish dynasty in England. After 1066 adopted as
the equivalent of L. comes (see count (n.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
earl definition[ɚl]
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Example sentences from the web
The character sheriff earl mcgraw appears in both kill bill, vol.
The first lord of the admiralty, earl spencer, fainted on hearing the news.
External links more about earl grey on the downing street website.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
