What does "earn" mean?
Earn: To merit or deserve, as by labor or service; to do that which entitles one to (a reward, whether the reward is received or not). The high repute Which he through hazard huge must earn. Milton.
Additional senses
- 2.To acquire by labor, service, or performance; to deserve and receive as compensation or wages; as, to earn a good living; to earn honors or laurels. I earn that [what] I eat. Shak. The bread I have earned by the hazard of my life or the sweat of my brow. Burke. Earned run (Baseball), a run which is made without the assistance of errors on the opposing side.
- 3.To grieve. [Obs.]
- 4.To long; to yearn. [Obs.] And ever as he rode, his heart did earn To prove his puissance in battle brave. Spenser.
- 5.To curdle, as milk. [Prov. Eng.]
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00