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# earl

noun (an earl, earls)

«earl» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A British nobleman of high rank, below a marquess and above a viscount. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#m1)
2. (history) In early England, a powerful lord who ruled a large area for the king. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#m2)

### In the lessons

Met in history lessons on the Middle Ages, castles and kings, and in stories of the British upper class. An earl's wife is a countess. The ranks from top are: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron. Earl is also a man's name.

### Examples

- The earl lived in a huge castle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#x1)
- Harold was Earl of Wessex before he became king. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#x2)
- An earl's wife is called a countess. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#x3)
- The Earl of Sandwich is said to have given the sandwich its name. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#x4)
- The earl owned all the land around the village. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#x5)
- Earl is also a first name, as in Earl Grey tea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#x6)
- One fine summer's day Earl Mar's daughter went into the castle garden, dancing and tripping along. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/#x7)

### Note

Use «an earl» (starts with a vowel sound). Capital E in titles: the Earl of Essex. There is no «earless»: the female equivalent is countess. The word came from Old English «eorl», a warrior or nobleman.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «earl» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earl/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«earl» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/earl.html) on Mova free.