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earl

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/ ɜrl /
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noun
a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called count for a time after the Norman conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a governor of one of the great divisions of England, including East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex.
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Origin of earl

before 900; Middle English erl,Old English eorl; cognate with Old Saxon erl man, Old Norse jarl chieftain

Other definitions for earl (2 of 2)

Earl

or Earle

[ url ]
/ ɜrl /

noun
a male given name: from the old English word meaning “noble.”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use earl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for earl

earl
/ (ɜːl) /

noun
(in the British Isles) a nobleman ranking below a marquess and above a viscountFemale equivalent: countess
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a royal governor of any of the large divisions of the kingdom, such as Wessex

Word Origin for earl

Old English eorl; related to Old Norse jarl chieftain, Old Saxon erl man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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