eared 
culiar outer ears, as ITI in in Imls; having outer 
oars in a group of animals others of which have 
them not: as, the eared seals. 4. In6ot.,same 
as auriculatc, 2.-Eared eggs, of iusn t , tbo 
which have, just lu-l'oiv the aprx, two short oblique n|> 
prmta-cs serving to prevent them from sinking in the 
Sl.'llli li<|llhl sllllfltlUll.TS Oil whilh t)ll->' .'11 ' ll'-potiited. 
eared- (ord), a. [< car 2 + -erf 2 .] Having ears 
or awns, as grain. In heraldry, grain with the ear 
iliiiiTin^ in tincture from tin- .stalk or blade is blazoned 
eared of such a metal or eolor: as, a stalk of wheat vert, 
eared or. 
earert, " [ME. erer, eerer, erere, < eren, plow: 
see car 3 .] A plower; a plowman. 
Whether al day slial ere the erf re that he sowe. 
Wyclif, Ua. xxvlii. 24. 
ear-flap (er'flap), . The hanging flap of a 
dog's ear. 
ear-gland (er'gland), n. The warty glandular 
skin or tympanum of a batrachian, as a toad ; 
the parotid. 
ear-hole (er'hol), n. The aperture of the ear; 
the outer orifice of the ear ; the external audi- 
tory meatus or passage. 
eariness, n. See eeriness. 
earing 1 (er'ing), M. [<er 1 + -<ngil.] A small 
rope attached to the cringle of a sail, by which 
it is bent or reefed. When attached to the head- 
cringle for bending, it is called a head-earing; when at- 
tached to the reef -cringle, a reef-earing. 
If the second mate is a smart fellow, he will never let 
any one take either of these posts from him ; but If he Is 
wanting either in seamanship, strength, or activity, some 
better man will get the bunt and earings from him. 
R. H. Dana, Jr., Before the Mast, p. 26. 
From clue to earing. See clue. 
earing 2 (er'ing), . [Verbal n. of ear 2 , v.] The 
forming of ears of corn. 
Their winter some call Popanow, the spring Cattapeuk, 
the sommer Cohattayough. the earing of their Corne Ne- 
piuough, the harvest and fall of leafe Taquitock. 
Copt. John Smith, True Travels, I. 126. 
earing 3 t (er'ing), . [< ME. "ering, < AS. er- 
ing, eriung, verbal n. of maw, plow, ear: see 
ears.] A plowing of land. See ears. 
Yf rlshes, gresse, or fern in with this walle Is, 
With ereyng ofte her lyves wol be spende. 
Palladius, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 151. 
There are flve years, in the which there shall neither be 
earinrf nor harvest. Gen. xlv. 6. 
earing-cringle (er'ing-kring'gl), n. See cringle. 
earisnt (er'ish), a. [< earl + -tsAi.] Auricular. 
/Varies. 
1 1 is [Antichrist's] idolatrous altars, his earish confession, 
his housd in one kind for the lay, . . . and all his petting 
pedlary, is utterly banished and driven out of this land. 
Beeon, Works, III. 4. 
ear-kissing (er'kislug), a. Kissing (that is, 
whispered in) the ear. 
You have heard of the news abroad ; I mean the whis- 
pered ones, for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments. 
Shak., Lear, it. 1. 
earl (erl), n. [< ME. erl, earlier eorl, earl, as a 
designation of rank, < AS. eorl, an earl, a noble- 
man of high rank, nearly equiv. to ealdorman 
(see alderman) ; first in the Kentish laws, but 
its common use as a title and designation of 
office begins with the Scandinavian invasion, 
through the influence of the cognate Icel. Sw. 
Dan. jarl, Icel. orig. earl, in the earliest Scand. 
use a man above the rank of a ' carl ' or churl, 
then, esp. as a Norw. and Dan. title, an earl; 
the earlier AS. use occurs only in poetry, eorl, 
a man, esp. a warrior (pi. earlas, men, warriors, 
the people, as an army), = OS. erl, a man, = 
OHG. erl, only in proper names; cf. Heruli, 
Eruli, the LL. form of the name of a people of 
northern Germany, prob. 'the warriors,' OS. 
pi. erlos, AS. eorlas, etc. Further origin un- 
known; it is impossible to derive eorl from 
ealdor, a chief, as has been suggested.] A 
British title of nobility designating a nobleman 
of the third rank, being that next below a mar- 
quis and next above a viscount. Earl was the 
highest title until 1337, when the first duke was created ; 
and it fell to the third rank in 1386, on the creation of the 
title of marquis. The earl formerly had the government 
of a shire, and was called shireman. After the conquest, 
when their oltlce was first made hereditary, earls were 
for a time culled counts, and from them shires took the 
name of counties; the wife of an earl is still called count- 
ess. Karl is now a mere title, unconnected with territo- 
rial jurisdiction, so much so that several earls have taken 
as their titles their own mimes with the prefix Karl, as Karl 
Grey, Karl Spencer, Earl Russell. An earl's coronet con- 
sists of a richly chased circle of gold, having on its upper 
edge eight stniwlMTry-leaves, :Utern;itiiiKith eight pearls, 
each raised on a spire higher than the leaves, and with a 
cap, etc., as in a duke's rornm't. See cut under coronet. 
A Dukes Eldest sonnes be Karles, and all the rest of his 
sonns are Lords, with the Addition of there Christen name, 
:is Lord Thomas. Lord Henry. 
Booke o/ Precedence (E. E. T. S., extra ser.X 1. 27. 
1817 
My thuncs and kinsmen. 
Henceforth be earl*; the first that ever Scotland 
In such an honour nam'd. Shak., Macbeth, v. 7. 
The government was entrusted to a magistrate with the 
title of Ealdorman, or its Danish equivalent Karl. 
K. A. Freeman, Norman Conquest, I. 52. 
The ancient dignity of the earl has In former chapter* 
been traced throughout its history. In very few instances 
was the title annexed to a simple town or castle. 
StuUa, Const. Hist., 5428. 
Earl marshal, the eighth great officer of state in Great 
liritain. He is the head of the College of Arms (see Her- 
olds' College, under herald), determines all rival claims to 
arms, and grants armorial bearings, through the medium 
of the king-at-arms, to persons not possessed of hereditary 
arms. It Is his duty also to direct all great ceremonies 
of state, and to make the formal proclamation of war or 
peace. The office was formerly of great Importance, and 
was originally conferred by grant of the king (as early as 
the time of Richard II.), but is now hereditary In the family 
of the Howards, dukes of Norfolk, called the premier earls 
of England. (See marshal.) There were formerly also earls 
marshals in Scotland. See mariwhal. 
The list 
Of those that claim their offices this day, 
By custom of the coronation. . . . 
Next, the duke of Norfolk, 
He to be earl marshal. Shak., Hen.' VIII., Iv. 1. 
Earl palatine. See palatine. 
ear-lap (er'lap), H. [< ME. erelappe, < AS. ear- 
Ittppa (= OFries. drleppa, arlippa = MD. dim. 
oorlajiken = Norw. oreldp, oreuep = Sw. orlapp 
= Dan. itrelcep (Sw. usually orflik or ortipp, 
Dan. oreflip) = G. ohrldpp-chen), ear-lap, < edre, 
ear, + Iceppa, lap: see earl and fcjpl.] 1. The 
tip of the ear. 2. One of a pair of covers for 
the ears in cold weather, made of cloth or fur 
so as to incase them. [U. 8.] 
ear-lappet (er'lap'et), n. 1. An auricular cu- 
taneous fold or fleshy excrescence of a bird; 
a kind of wattle hanging from the ear : usually 
called ear-lobe. 
In the Dutch sub-breed of the Spanish fowl the white 
ear-lappets are developed earlier than In the common 
Spanish breed. Darwin, Var. of Animals and Plants, p. 263. 
2. Same as ear-lap, 2. [Rare.] 
earldom (erl'dum), n. [< ME. erldom, eorldom, 
< AS. eorldom (= Icel. Jarldomr = Norw. Dan. 
jarledomme = Sw. jarldome), < eorl, earl, + 
-dom, -dom.] The seigniory, jurisdiction, or 
dignity of an earl. 
Of the eleven earldoms, three were now (1300] vested In 
the king, who, besides being earl of Lancaster, Lincoln, 
and Hereford, was also earl of Derby Leicester, and North- 
ampton. Stubbs, Const. Hist, 303. 
earldorman. . A false form of Anglo-Saxon 
ealdorman, due to confusion with Anglo-Saxon 
eorl. See alderman. 
earl-duck (erl'duk), n. [Var. of harle (Ork- 
ney), name of same bird.] The red-breasted 
merganser. Swainson. [Prov. Eng.] 
earles-pennyt(erlz'pen'i),n. [ME.: seeartes, 
arle-penny.~] Money in ratification of a con- 
tract; earnest-money. 
earless (er'les), a. [< earl + -less.] 1. De- 
prived of ears; having the ears cropped. 
Earless on high stood unabash'd Defoe. 
Pope, Dunclad, li. 147. 
2. Destitute of ears; not eared; exauriculate : 
as, the earless seals. 3. Specifically, in ornith., 
having no plumicorns: as, the earless owls. 
4f. Not giving ear; not inclined to hear or lis- 
ten. 
A surd and earless generation of men. Sir T. Browne. 
Earless marmot. See marmot. 
earlet (er'let), . [< earl + dim. -let.'] 1. A 
small ear. 2. An ear-ring. 
And he said to them : I desire one request of you : Give 
me the earlets of your spoils. For the Ismaelites were ac- 
customed to wear golden earlets. 
Judges viiL 24 (Douay verslonX 
3. In but., an auricle, as in certain foliose II,- 
paticee. 
earlid (er'lid), n. [< carl -Mid. Ct. eyelid.] In 
nodi., a valvular external cutaneous ear which 
can be shut down upon the auditory opening. 
The tympanic membranes [of the crocodile) are exposed, 
lint a cutaneous valve, or earlid, lies above each and can 
be shut down over It. Huxley, Anat Vert., p. 214. 
ear-lifter (er'lif'ter), . [< ear 2 , ., + lifter.] 
A projecting guide on the knife-bar of a har- 
vester to assist in lifting fallen or storm-beaten 
grain, so that it can be cut by the machine. 
earliness (er'li-nes), n. The state or fact of 
being early; a state of advance or forward- 
ness ; a state of being prior to something else, 
or at the beginning. 
The goodness of the crop is great gain, if the goodness 
answers the earliness of coming up. Bacon. 
Thy earliness doth me assure, 
Thou art up-rous'd by some distemp'ratiire. 
SAo*.,K,and J., U. S. 
early 
I have prayed your son ll:.II..Tt that we may strive to- 
morrow with the sun's earliness to wake a stag from hU 
lair. Monastery, xx. 
earl-marshal (erl'mftr'shal), w. See earl mar- 
xliut, under carl. 
ear-lobe (er'lob), . 1. The lobe or lobule of 
the ear. See lobule, and cut under ear. 2. 
The auricular caruncle or fleshy excrescence 
beside the ear of a fowl ; an ear-lappet. 
ear-lock (er'lok), u. [< ME. erelikke, < AS. 
earlocc, < edre, ear, + locc, lock: see ear 1 and 
Zocfc 2 .] A lock or curl of hair near the ear, 
worn by men of fashion in the reigns of Eliza- 
beth and James I. ; a love-lock. 
Love-locks, or ear-l'tckx, In which too many of our na- 
tion have of late begun to glory, ... are yet . . . but so 
many badges of infamy, effeminacy, vanity. Prynne. 
early (er'li), adv. [Early mod. E. also erly, 
erley ; < ME. erly, erli, ereli, north, arly, arely, 
ayrly, etc., < AS. 'cerlice, ONorth. Mice, early 
(rare, the common form being <er, E. ere) (= 
Icel. arliga, also contr. aria, adv., = Dan. 
aarle, adj. and adv.), < o?r, ere, early, + -lice, 
E. -ly 2 : see wei.] Near the initial point of 
some reckoning in time ; in or during the first 
part or period of some division of time, or of 
some course or procedure: as, come early; 
early in the day, or in the century; early in his 
career. 
And Eweiu that gladly roos euer erly more than eny 
other. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ill. 448. 
Those that seek me early shall find me. Prov. viii. 17. 
Satlrday. erley In the mornyng, we toke our Jorneyne 
towardys Jherusalem. 
Torkinyton, Diarie of Eng. Travell, p. 26. 
Diffuse thy beneficence early, and while thy treasures 
call thee master. Sir T. Browne, Christ Mor., L 5. 
As the city of Thebes was so antient, sciences flourished 
In it very early, particularly astronomy and philosophy. 
Pococke, Description of the East, I. 109. 
= Syn. Early, Soon, Betimes. Early Is relative, and notes 
occurrence before some fixed or usual time, or before the 
course of time had far advanced beyond that point : as, 
he rose early (that is, he rose before the usual time of 
rising, or before the day had advanced far) ; he came early 
In the evening (that is, before the evening was far ad- 
vanced) ; while in "come early " the meaning may be only 
"do not be late In your coming, or do not delay your com- 
ing beyond the set or accustomed time." Soon means 
shortly, or In a short time after the present or some fixed 
point of time : as, come soon ; he left <xm after my arrival. 
Betimes (by time) means in good time for some specific 
object or all useful purposes : as, he rose betimes. 
early (er'li), a. ; compar. earlier, superl. earliest. 
[< ME. "erlich, earlich, found only once as adj., 
and prob. due to the adv. : see early, adv.] 1. 
Pertaining to the first part or period of some 
division of time, or of some course in time ; 
being at or near the beginning of the portion 
of time indicated or concerned : as, an early 
hour; early manhood; the early times of the 
church. 
In their early days they had wings. 
Bacon, Moral Fables, vi. 
The delinquencies of the early part of his administra- 
tion had been atoned for by the excellence of the later 
part. Macaulay, Warren Hastings. 
Unfortunately blighted at an earbi stage of their growth. 
Hawthorne, Old Manse, I. 
2. Appearing or occurring in advance of, or 
at or near the beginning of, some appointed, 
usual, or well-understood date, epoch, season, 
or event ; being before the usual time : as, an 
< arly riser ; early fruit ; early (that is, prema- 
ture) decay; early marriage. 
The early bird catches the worm. Proverb. 
The early lark, that erst was mute, 
Carols to the rising day 
Many a note and many a lay. 
Fletcher, Faithful Shepherdess, IT. 4. 
3. Occurring in the near future: as, I shall 
take an earfy opportunity of calling on yon: 
the petitioners asked that a meeting be called 
at an early date. 4. In embryol., very young ; 
very recently formed : as, an early embryo. 
Early English. See English. Early English archi- 
tecture, the Pointed style of medieval architecture in 
England, which was developed from and succeeded the 
Norman at the close of the twelfth and in the early part 
of the thirteenth century. It is characterized in gen- 
eral by purity and simplicity of lines, combined with 
delicacy, refinement, and grace. The columns and shafts 
are more slender than those of the preceding style, and 
foliage in some instances sprouts out from the central 
pillar between the shafts; the moldings are more deli- 
cately curved, and are alternated with hollows so as to 
give beautiful effects of light and shade; the capitals 
frequently have the form of an inverted bell, and are 
often enriched with foliage, as of the trefoil, rising from 
the neck-molding and swelling outward beneath the 
abacus ; the towers are loftier and are often crowned by 
spires ; the buttresses project boldly ; the vaults are groin- 
ed, and the graceful wall-arcades often have their span- 
drels filled with sculpture. The most distinctive features 
of the Early English style, however, are the pointed arches 
