ear|ly ◆◆◆ /ɜː r li/ (earlier , earliest )
1 ADV [ADV after v] Early means before the usual time that a particular event or activity happens. □ I knew I had to get up early. □ Why do we have to go to bed so early? ● ADJ [ADJ n] Early is also an adjective. □ I decided that I was going to take early retirement. □ I planned an early night.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Early means near the beginning of a day, week, year, or other period of time. □ …in the 1970s and the early 1980s. □ …a few weeks in early summer. □ She was in her early teens. □ …the early hours of Saturday morning. ● ADV Early is also an adverb. □ We'll hope to see you some time early next week. □ …early in the season.
3 ADV [ADV after v] Early means before the time that was arranged or expected. □ She arrived early to secure a place at the front. □ The first snow came a month earlier than usual. ● ADJ Early is also an adjective. □ I'm always early.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Early means near the beginning of a period in history, or in the history of something such as the world, a society, or an activity. □ …the early stages of pregnancy. □ …Fassbinder's early films. □ It's too early to declare his efforts a success.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] Early means near the beginning of something such as a piece of work or a process. □ …the book's early chapters. ● ADV Early is also an adverb. □ …an incident which occurred much earlier in the game.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] Early refers to plants which flower or crop before or at the beginning of the main season. □ …these early cabbages and cauliflowers. ● ADV [ADV with v] Early is also an adverb. □ …early flowering shrubs.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] Early reports or indications of something are the first reports or indications about it. [FORMAL ] □ The early indications look encouraging.
8 PHRASE You can use as early as to emphasize that a particular time or period is surprisingly early. [EMPHASIS ] □ Inflation could fall back into single figures as early as this month.
9 PHRASE If you say about something that might be true that it is early days , you mean that it is too soon for you to be completely sure about it. [INFORMAL ]
ea r|ly bi rd (early birds )
1 N‑COUNT An early bird is someone who does something or goes somewhere very early, especially very early in the morning. □ We've always been early birds, getting up at 5.30 or 6am.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] An early bird deal or offer is one that is available at a reduced price, but which you must buy earlier than you would normally do. □ Early bird discounts are usually available at the beginning of the season.
ea r|ly wa rn|ing also early-warning ADJ [ADJ n] An early warning system warns people that something bad is likely to happen, for example that a machine is about to stop working, or that a country is being attacked.
ear|mark / I ə r mɑː r k/ (earmarks , earmarking , earmarked )
1 VERB If resources such as money are earmarked for a particular purpose, they are reserved for that purpose. □ [be V -ed + for ] …the extra money being earmarked for the new projects. □ [V n + for ] The education department has earmarked £6m for the new school. □ [be V -ed to-inf] Billions of dollars were earmarked to develop the country's infrastructure.
2 VERB [usu passive] If something has been earmarked for closure or disposal, for example, people have decided that it will be closed or got rid of. □ [be V -ed + for ] Their support meant that he was not forced to sell the business which was earmarked for disposal last year.
ear|muffs / I ə r mʌfs/ also ear muffs N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Earmuffs consist of two thick soft pieces of cloth joined by a band, which you wear over your ears to protect them from the cold or from loud noise.
earn ◆◆◇ /ɜː r n/ (earns , earning , earned )
1 VERB If you earn money, you receive money in return for work that you do. □ [V n] What a lovely way to earn a living.
2 VERB If something earns money, it produces money as profit or interest. □ [V n] …a current account which earns little or no interest.
3 VERB If you earn something such as praise, you get it because you deserve it. □ [V n] Companies must earn a reputation for honesty. □ [V n n] I think that's earned him very high admiration. COLLOCATIONS earn VERB
1
earn + noun : income, living, salary, wage
3
earn + noun : praise, reputation, respect, right; victory
earn + adverb : deservedly, rightly SYNONYMS earn VERB 1
get: They get a salary of $21,000 a year.
make: How much did we make?
be paid: Students were paid substantial sums of money to lie in bed all day.
bring in: I have a part-time job, which brings in about £14,000 a year.
earn|er /ɜː r nə r / (earners ) N‑COUNT An earner is someone or something that earns money or produces profit. □ …a typical wage earner. □ Sugar is Fiji's second biggest export earner.