Dictionaries › English

earn

Pronunciation: /ɜːn/

The English word “earn” has 9 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.
  2. To receive payment for work or for a role or position held (regardless of whether effort was applied or whether the remuneration is deserved or commensurate).
  3. To receive payment for work.
  4. To cause (someone) to receive payment or reward.
  5. To achieve by being worthy of.
  6. To curdle (milk), especially in the cheesemaking process.
  7. Of milk: to curdle, especially in the cheesemaking process.
  8. To strongly long or yearn (for something or to do something).
  9. To grieve.

Etymology

From Middle English ernen, from Old English earnian, from Proto-West Germanic *aʀanōn, from Proto-Germanic *azanōną. This verb is denominal from the noun *azaniz (“harvest”).

Keep exploring: in the interactive dictionary every word of a definition is a link. Open “earn” there

More English words

About this dictionary

The English dictionary on Glottosphere has 650,529 entries with a page. Browse the English dictionary.

Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.