<B>earl, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a British nobleman ranking below a marquis and above a viscount. The wife or widow of an earl is called a countess. <DD><B> 2. </B>a noble in Anglo-Saxon England who was the governor of a county or shire. </DL>
<B>earless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having no ears. <BR> <I>Ex. the American earless lizard.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>deaf. </DL>
<A NAME="earlessseal">
<B>earless seal,</B> <B>=hair seal.</B></DL>
<A NAME="earlet">
<B>earlet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a small ear. </DL>
<A NAME="earliness">
<B>earliness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the state of being early. </DL>
<A NAME="earlmarshal">
<B>Earl Marshal,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a high officer of state in Great Britain, who is head of the Heralds' College, appointing its officers, and who directs all ceremonies of state. The office is now hereditary in the line of the dukes of Norfolk. </DL>
<A NAME="earlobe">
<B>earlobe, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the soft, loosely hanging lower part of the external ear. <DD><B> 2. </B>the fleshy fold beside the ear of some fowls. </DL>
<A NAME="earlock">
<B>earlock, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a lock of hair worn next to either ear by ultra-Orthodox Jews (in obedience to a Biblical commandment, Leviticus 19:27, prohibiting the rounding off of hair on the temples). <DD><B> 2. </B>a lock of hair near the ear. </DL>
<A NAME="earlpalatine">
<B>earl palatine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an English earl who formerly exercised royal prerogatives within his county. </DL>
<A NAME="earlship">
<B>earlship, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the position, rank, or authority of an earl. </DL>
<A NAME="early">
<B>early, </B>adverb, adjective, <B>-lier,</B> <B>-liest,</B> noun, pl. <B>-lies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adv. </I> <B>1. </B>near the beginning; in the first part. <BR> <I>Ex. The sun is not hot early in the day.</I> (SYN) betimes. <DD><B> 2. </B>before the usual time. <BR> <I>Ex. Please come early.</I> (SYN) beforehand. <DD><B> 3. </B>long ago; far back in time; in ancient times. <BR> <I>Ex. Horses were very small early in their development.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>before very long; soon. <BR> <I>Ex. Spring may come early this year.</I> (SYN) presently, shortly. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or occurring in the first part. <BR> <I>Ex. In his early years, he liked ships.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>occurring before the usual time. <BR> <I>Ex. We had an early dinner today.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>happening far back in time. <BR> <I>Ex. early history.</I> (SYN) ancient. <DD><B> 4. </B>occurring in the near future. <BR> <I>Ex. an early end to the strike, an answer at an early date.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a vegetable or fruit produced early in the season. <BR> <I>Ex. The glut of earlies has been caused by a slightly bigger acreage and an abnormal growing season (London Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>early on,</B> </I>at, from, or near the beginning; at an early time or stage. <BR> <I>Ex. Early on, young Mackie was keen at sports (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earlyamerican">
<B>Early American,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> made or built in, or characterized by the styles of the American Colonial or post-Revolutionary periods, often displaying both Dutch and English influences. </DL>
<A NAME="earlybird">
<B>early bird,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) a person who gets up, arrives, or does something early. <BR> <I>Ex. The company was an early bird in marketing computers.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earlybird">
<B>Early Bird,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) an active communications satellite designed to relay microwave signals between North America and Europe. </DL>
<A NAME="earlyblight">
<B>early blight,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a disease affecting the leaves of potato and tomato plants, caused by a fungus and similar to late blight. </DL>
<A NAME="earlyenglisharchitecture">
<B>Early English architecture,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the pointed Gothic style of medieval architecture in England developed from the Norman style of the 1100's and the early 1200's. </DL>
<A NAME="earlygoldenrod">
<B>early goldenrod,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a goldenrod that blooms in eastern North America in August. </DL>
<A NAME="earlyish">
<B>earlyish, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> rather early. <BR> <I>Ex. It is an earlyish work ... and has long been unobtainable in this country (Manchester Guardian).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earlywarning">
<B>early-warning, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> designed to give warning well in advance of danger. <BR> <I>Ex. A group of four seismological monitoring stations is being installed in Chile, as part of an earthquake early-warning network to extend throughout South America (Science News).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earlywarningradar">
<B>early-warning radar,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a radar set or system designed to detect aircraft at as great a distance as possible, and used near the periphery of a defended area to warn of approaching aircraft. </DL>
<A NAME="earlywood">
<B>early wood,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the lighter part of a tree's annual ring, which develops each spring; springwood. </DL>
<A NAME="earmark">
<B>earmark, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a mark made on the ear of an animal to show who owns it. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a special mark, quality, or feature that gives information about a person or thing; sign. <BR> <I>Ex. Careful speech is an earmark of the educated man.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make an earmark on. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to identify or give information about. <BR> <I>Ex. Careless work earmarks a poor student. A capital adorned with acanthus leaves earmarks the Corinthian column.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) to set aside for some special purpose. <BR> <I>Ex. Money earmarked to buy books for the library cannot be spent for anything else.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earminded">
<B>ear-minded, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a marked tendency to carry on mental operations most readily by auditory images; thinking in sounds. </DL>
<A NAME="earmite">
<B>ear mite,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a mite that infests the ears of mammals. </DL>
<A NAME="earmuffs">
<B>earmuffs, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> a pair of coverings to put over the ears to keep them warm or protect them from noise. </DL>
<A NAME="earn">
<B>earn</B> (1), transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to get in return for work or service; be paid. <BR> <I>Ex. She earns 25 dollars a day.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to do enough work for; do good enough work for; deserve; be worth. <BR> <I>Ex. He is paid more than he really earns.</I> (SYN) merit. <DD><B> 3. </B>to bring or get as deserved. <BR> <I>Ex. Her hard work earned her the respect of her teachers.</I> (SYN) win. <DD><B> 4. </B>to gain as a profit or return. <BR> <I>Ex. Money well invested earns good interest.</I> noun <B>earner.</B> </DL>
<B>earned run,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a run in baseball which is not the result of an error by the defending team, scored against a pitcher. </DL>
<A NAME="earnedrunaverage">
<B>earned run average,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the average number of earned runs scored against a pitcher in a 9-inning game. (Abbr:) ERA (no periods), or E.R.A. </DL>
<A NAME="earnedsurplus">
<B>earned surplus,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the net earnings of a corporation from the date of its incorporation; retained earnings. </DL>
<A NAME="earnest">
<B>earnest</B> (1), adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>strong and firm in purpose; eager and serious. <BR> <I>Ex. The earnest pupil tried very hard to do his best.</I> (SYN) sincere, diligent, zealous. <DD><B> 2. </B>important. <BR> <I>Ex. Life is real, life is earnest (Longfellow).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> seriousness (of intention or purpose). <BR><I>expr. <B>in earnest,</B> </I>determined or sincere; serious. <BR> <I>Ex. The young man is in earnest about becoming a famous painter.</I> adv. <B>earnestly.</B> noun <B>earnestness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="earnest">
<B>earnest</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a part given or done in advance as a pledge for the rest. <BR> <I>Ex. Take this money as an earnest of the amount I still owe you. Part of the price he paid to the seller was an earnest that the rest would be paid.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) anything that shows what is to come; pledge; token. <BR> <I>Ex. The primrose flower Peeped forth to give an earnest of the Spring (Wordsworth). His eloquence and religious fervor had already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession (Hawthorne).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earnestmoney">
<B>earnest money,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> money paid as a pledge. <BR> <I>Ex. The couple paid five thousand dollars earnest money on the house.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earningpower">
<B>earning power,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the capacity of a business or investment to yield profits. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person's ability to earn a certain income. </DL>
<B>earphone, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a receiver for a telephone, telegraph, radio, television, or hearing aid that is fastened in or placed over the ear; headphone. </DL>
<A NAME="earpiece">
<B>earpiece, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the part of any equipment that is connected to or held up by the ear. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=earflap.</B> <DD><B> 3. </B>one of the usually curved ends of the frame of eyeglasses that rests upon the ear. </DL>
<A NAME="earpiercer">
<B>ear piercer,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a person who pierces the earlobe so that an earring may be worn in it. </DL>
<A NAME="earpiercing">
<B>ear-piercing, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> piercing or irritating to the ear, as a shrill or sharp sound. <BR> <I>Ex. an ear-piercing scream.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="earplug">
<B>earplug, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a small, rounded piece of wax, rubber, or plastic, used to insert into the ear to exclude noise. <DD><B> 2. </B>a small, usually plastic, earphone connected to a portable, transistor, or other type of small radio, used for private listening. </DL>
<A NAME="earreach">
<B>earreach, </B>noun. <B>=earshot.</B></DL>
<A NAME="earring">
<B>earring, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an ornament for the lobe of the ear. </DL>
