(1) 地球(planet on which human beings live; the third planet in order of distance from the sun) [U，the～]： There's been life on～for millions of years. 地球上的生命已经存在了数百万年。Is the E～nearer the sun than the Mars is? 地球比火星离太阳更近吗? The astronauts returned safely from the moon to the～. 宇航员们安全地从月球返回地球。

(2) 世界;地(the world，especially the physical world regarded as the place where people live or as opposed to heaven) [sing]： The～is divided into several continents. 世界被分成几个大洲。heaven and～天与地; 〖同〗world;

(3) 陆地，地面(part of the planet Earth that has a solid surface，dry land or the ground) [sing]： The dead bird/snowflakes fell to the～. 那只死鸟/雪花落到地面上。the～，sea and sky 陆地，海洋和天空; 〖同〗 land，ground;

(4) 土地(壤)，泥(土) (soft，crumbly，or powdery substance forming much of the surface of the planet Earth;soil) [U]：seeds sprouting in the moist～种子在湿润的土壤里发芽;fill a hole/cover the roots of a plant with～用土把洞填上/把植物的根茎盖上;a handful of/a pile of～一把土/一堆土; The fallen leaves turned～. 落叶化作泥土。〖同〗clay，dirt，dust，soil;

cost (sb)the earth 昂贵的，花钱多的(infml)： He wants to buy a house，but it costs the～. 他想买一座房子，但价钱太贵了。

come back/down to earth 回到现实 (infml)： When he had spent all his money，he came back to～. 当他把钱花光之后，他又回到现实中。

down to earth (down-to-earth) 老实，实际：He is a very down-to-～person. 他是个很诚实的人。Their first plan was too fancy，but the second was more down-to-～. 他们的第一个计划过于幻想，但第二个计划就现实多了。

feel/look like nothing on earth 拙劣的，奇怪的 (infml)： He looks like nothing on～in those strange clothes. 他穿着奇装异服的样子很怪。

go to earth 躲藏 (infml)： They've gone to～，and we can't find them. 他们藏了起来，我们找不到他们。

(how/why/where/who) on earth 到底(用于加强语气) (infml)： What on～are you going to do? 你到底要干什么? He could think of nothing on～to say. 他怎么也想不出该说什么。

run sb/sth to earth 追获，追查出：The police ran the fugitives to～in London. 警察一直追到伦敦才将罪犯逮捕。

→′earthen adj 泥土做的，大地的;′earthiness n 土质，朴实;′earthling n 凡人，俗人;′earthly adj 地球的，世俗的;′earthliness n 世俗;′earthy adj 泥土的，现实的;

【辨异】earth与world和globe均指我们所居住的星球或世界。earth指表面有陆地及水域的地球，以别于太阳，星星等其他星球或宗教中的天堂与地狱，如：the gravitational attraction of the earth (地心引力); world 指人类居住的世界，通常指全体人类及人类事务，如：all the nations of the world (世界各国人民); globe 则强调地球的圆的形状，如： Today people on earth can fly around the globe in just a few days. (现在地球上的人类只用几天的时间便可飞遍全球。)